When in Rome
by Mice
Summary: Bobby Drake in his vain attempt to understand women. Part of the "Everyone Says I Love You" series.
1. When in Rome, Prologue

****

**Standard Mice Disclaimer**

Mice is in no way associated with the Marvel Comics Group. She is merely trying to write a story and this is all she has to show for it. A noble effort. Though she would one day like to be paid for writing, please don't send her any money (send mail to urmonkeyifudo@yeahright.com on instructions to send her money). The characters of Bobby Drake, Hank McCoy and Jubilee, belong to the Marvel Comics Group. Holland, Jacob, Bert, Cliff, Hollis, Annie, Gary, and Nan are of my own mind. Any archiving of this story that is unaware of her attention will be ily received (Read: Tikki Curse). If you e-mail her, explain your intentions to archive the story and address of your archive, she will be more than gracious and will probably do something nice for you, like bake you brownies, not to mention archiving the story. She just wants to know where she can drool over the sight of her name. If you want to e-mail her comments, do it at esily@aol.com. You'll also get some brownies out of the deal, but it's not really that great of a reward because she can't cook. 

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When in Rome

By Mice

Prologue

The room was laden with heavy tension as Warren gazed upon Jean, Jean gaped at Scott, and Scott gawked at Jean. When Bobby looked at Hank, Hank bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing.

The two outsiders crept silently into the hall. After Bobby closed the door behind him, Hank struck a pose appropriate for angst. "Oh, Jean, you are of magnanimous beauty, if only--but no!! It is not to be!!!" 

"Oh, Scott!!" Bobby began to say in a ridiculously high falsetto before switching back to his normal voice, which was not that much deeper. "You are Scott, right?" 

Hank nodded. 

Bobby grinned and continued in his falsetto. "Oh, Scott!! You are so handsome and you brood -- how can I not resist you??!!! Oh, darling, if only -- but we can't!! Not while you lead us -- us, the X-Men!!!!" 

Hank and Bobby dissolved into laughter in the hallway. "Poor Warren; does the guy know he's licked, Hank?" 

"'Poor Warren?' Pee shaw, Bobby, choose your words more carefully!" 

"Well, if I could afford them ten dollar words you throw around, I would!" 

Hank laughed again. "Tell you what. Why don't we sally forth to a local hang out for something to drink...get ourselves out of this place of mighty angst?" 

Bobby's grin faded into a nervous tremble. "Don't you think that maybe we should invite the others?" 

Hank cleared his throat. "Oh, Jean!! I can tell by the way you slurp your soda that you will never care for me, but always for Warren!!!!" 

Bobby threw his hands up in defeat and grinned again. "All right, all right, let's get out of here!" 

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Bobby threw his free hand up in defeat in the phone booth at the airport. "Opal, I know you're home ... I wish you'd pick up the phone. You know my number, so please call me back ... oh! It's Bobby, in case you didn't, uh, know that -- Jubilee, I'll be out in a minute!! -- uhm, bye.." Bobby slowly hung the phone back on the cradle and slunk out of the phone booth. 

Jubilee raised the eyebrow of suspicion. "Who'd you call, Bobby?" 

"No one." 

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"No one's home?" Harpo Lubbock growled at his family's answering machine from the confines of his new dorm room. "All right ... it's just me, your only son ... wanted to let ya'll know Ah made it all right to Massachusetts ... Ah haven't done jack yet, but, uh, one of the students here assure me that it's normal ... the kids seem all right...this might not be as bad as Ah originally thought ... so, uhm, call me back so ya'll can tell me what's going on ... and stuff. Okay, Ah gotta get off the phone ... Ah love you." 

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"I love you," Maddy greeted William with a kiss and a giggle. 

"What was that for?" 

Maddy shrugged. "Just for being you, Willie." Maddy threw her arms around her husband and planted another kiss on his head. 

William grinned and took Maddy's hands into his. "I love you, too, Madeline." 

"I made some peach cobbler for desert..." 

"Maddy, you didn't have to do that--" 

"Oh, yes I did, William Robert Drake! I have been moping around this house for the past week and just behaving badly. I needed to do something nice for you for putting up with me." 

William laughed. "I don't consider putting up with you punishment, Maddy!" 

Maddy kissed William once more before going into the kitchen. "Get the phone while I fix up a plate for you, all right?" 

William sighed. "Maddy, the phone isn't--" The phone began to ring. "Ringing. Damn, that's eerie..." William walked over to the phone. "Hello?" 

"Will, Ah need ta talk ta you." 

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"Come on, Lady, talk to me..." Bobby tried to coax his ancient Ford Escort. "Purr for me..." 

Jubilee rolled her eyes from the passengers side. "Do you two want to get a room?" 

Bobby, the mature being he was, stuck his tongue out at Jubilee. "I know what I'm doing, all right? Lady Jaye always needs a little coaxing..." 

Jubilee made a face. "Lady Jaye'?!" 

Bobby growled. "G.I. Joe, J." 

"Before my time, Bob." Jubilee looked at the hood of the car and tugged on Bobby's sweater. "Uhm ... Bobby ... I may not know a lot about cars, but when there is smoke coming out from under the hood of the car, I know that it isn't good thing..." 

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"Is this a good thing or a bad thing?" Hank asked while placing his hands neatly in his lap, ready to listen to his new friend. 

Annie cleared her throat as she began to fidget with her hair. "Well, it's not really either, I mean you really can't say that it's good or bad, uh...what I mean to say is...uh...uhm...do you think that this is wise?" 

"Do I think what is wise? Your outfit? If that's what you're trying to ask me, Annie, I will be of little help, as my attire can more than assure you of..." 

Annie smiled as she shook her head. "No, silly ... I mean ... do you really think it's wise for me to be here?" 

Hank took off his glasses and stared at Annie. "I don't see any wiser opportunity you could have taken, Annie." 

"I know, Hank, but I feel like I really don't belong here--" 

"And just where **do** you think you belong?" 

"Back home in Wyoming..." 

Hank raised an eyebrow. "Working as a waitress in a truck stop?" 

"It was a living..." 

"Still engaged to that ragamuffin?" 

"Hey!" Annie objected. "Uh...what exactly is a ragamuffin?" 

Hank sighed. "Forget about the 'ragamuffin' comment...Annie, your gifts were going to waste back there!" 

Annie whimpered. "'Gifts'?! I have a crappy mutancy--" Annie stopped herself as she looked at Hank. "Well, that isn't to say that mine is the crappiest, but ... well ... your mutancy made you just uber cute, but what do I have?!" 

"Annie, your power isn't as horrible as you are making it seem." 

"I know, but a really, really, really good memory isn't exactly rackin' me up any cute points!" 

Hank brushed some hair off of her cheek. "That's because you are already cute, Miss Peckenpaugh." Hank smiled warmly as he looked into her eyes. "And your power is not lame, nor is it 'crappy.' It would be if you were not using it for a greater good." 

"Yeah, I know recalling the perfect brownie recipe in the heat of battle is going to save the world one day..." Annie snorted. 

"I don't know, Annie ... Apocalypse does consider brownies to be one of the strong ... as long as they have walnuts." 

Annie scrunched up her brow. "Apoca-who?" 

Hank chuckled. "Don't worry about it now, Annie. Tell you what, why don't we sally forth to a local hang out and get a drink?" 

"Just you and me?" 

Hank nodded. 

"Are you sure you don't want anyone else to come with us?" 

"Do you want anyone else to come with us?" 

Annie's mouth parted as if to speak, but no words fell out right away. "Well ... uh..." 

Hank grinned. "Look, Annie. Obviously, throwing you into a large group of a people and expecting you to bond with all of us at once was a bad idea. My hypothesis is if you get to know us as individuals, we can rectify this 'I do not belong' line of thinking. What do you say?" 

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"What do you say, Bobby?" 

Bobby glared at the pint-sized, loud-mouthed pixie on his right, trying to push the image a crew of firefighters putting out his car. "If you hadn't sent me to the phone to call a taxi, I might have been able to save my car." 

Jubilee shook her head. "I was looking for a, 'Thank you, Jubilee, for ridding me of this pile of junk,' actually..." 

Bobby continued to glared. "At least you had enough sense to get our stuff out of the car before it went up in flames..." 

Jubilee smiled. "Is that a thank you?" 

"It's a 'I'm not going to kill you right now in a blind rage'." 

"You're welcome."


	2. When in Rome, pt 1

****

**Standard Mice Disclaimer**

Mice is in no way associated with the Marvel Comics Group. She is merely trying to write a story and this is all she has to show for it. A noble effort. Though she would one day like to be paid for writing, please don't send her any money (send mail to urmonkeyifudo@yeahright.com on instructions to send her money). The characters of Bobby Drake, Hank McCoy and Jubilee, belong to the Marvel Comics Group. Holland, Jacob, Bert, Cliff, Hollis, Annie, Gary, and Nan are of my own mind. Any archiving of this story that is unaware of her attention will be ily received (Read: Tikki Curse). If you e-mail her, explain your intentions to archive the story and address of your archive, she will be more than gracious and will probably do something nice for you, like bake you brownies, not to mention archiving the story. She just wants to know where she can drool over the sight of her name. If you want to e-mail her comments, do it at esily@aol.com. You'll also get some brownies out of the deal, but it's not really that great of a reward because she can't cook. 

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When in Rome

By Mice

Chapter 1

Annie Peckenpaugh was on a mission. The mission's name was "Operation: Pancakes." Her objective? "To eat pancakes. Kill, if necessary, to get them." 

Annie rounded the corner and landed in the kitchen to find a grinning Hank McCoy with an oversized novelty baker's cap on his head. Using the logic that came with morning, Annie figured that the reason he was grinning was due to the fact that he had pancakes; pancakes that were rightfully her's. "Gimme." 

"I hope you're hungry, Annie--" 

"Gimme." 

"No one else is up right now, so I thought I'd make us breakfast!" 

Annie paused for a bit, seeing as how the creature wasn't responding to these tactics, so she decided to change them up a bit, catch the blue hair ball off guard so that he could give her pancakes. 

"Gimme NOW." 

Brilliant! 

"Could you get the silverware?" 

Annie squinted her tired green eyes at the big blue galoot who was at the stove. Did he not understand her orders? Was he soft in the head? Why wasn't Cookie Monster giving her pancakes? 

"Still tired from our study session last night, I see. Just continue to sit there and glower while I set everything up." 

Annie growled as Hank set a fork and a knife in front of her. Annie now had a weapon to over power the beast to get to the pancakes, if it indeed came to that. 

"Bon appetite, Annie!" Hank grinned as he set the plate in front of Annie. 

Annie took her fork and nudged around the home fries and eggs, hoping to find a submerged pancake or two, but only found more eggs and potatoes. 

"Don't look at me with those eyes, I have your pancakes." 

Annie's eyes lit up as Hank set the plate down in front of her. 

"Annie, are you glowing?" 

Annie reached for the butter and syrup. 

Hank shook his head as he began to elegantly cut his short stack of pancakes while Annie was engaging on a full scale attack with hers. 

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Harpo Lubbock was up before noon and contrary to what his mother told him, the world did not end. In fact, the world was in pretty good shape from where he stood looking from his window in his dorm room. A bit more hilly than the flat lands of Texas that he was used to. 

*THUNK!* 

And noisier. 

Harpo could hear some muddled sounds coming from the hall and pressed his ear to the door. 

"Give it back, Jubilee!" 

"Not a chance in hell, hayseed! I will not go quietly into the morning! I will not vanish without a fight! I am going to live on! I am going to survive! Today, I celebrate MY Independence Day!" 

"That's not a declaration of independence, Jubilee, that's my work out tape!" 

Harpo saw his door knob twist and backed away as it opened. A thin arm entered and threw a tape inside and closed the door again. "HA!" 

"Uh ... huh," Harpo commented as he locked his door to protect himself from the cat fight outside. "Okay, that was probably stupid, and Ah'll be court-martialed by straight men everywhere, but..." Harpo turned his attention to his barely assembled stereo and put in his favorite Duran Duran CD and soon, Electric Barbarella filled the room. 

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Bobby trudged into the kitchen, hoping to drown his sorrows alone in a bowl of peanut butter Cap'n'Crunch. It took him a while to realize that he wasn't alone. 

"Robert! You're home!" Hank grinned as he bounced over to his best friend. "I was hoping you'd stop by the lab to chat about your trip, last night ... did all go well?" 

Bobby slumped into a chair, not quite awake enough to put forth the motor skills needed to pour cereal and milk. "Jubilee blew up my car." 

"Jubilee destroyed Lady Jaye?!" Hank gasped. 

"Well ... more like Lady Jaye imploded while Jubilee was in the car ... I still hold her responsible, though." 

"Is she all right? Was anyone hurt?" 

"No, she is not all right! She's burnt to a crisp!" 

"..." 

"Lady Jaye, Jubilee is fine." 

"Ah, good!" 

Bobby whimpered. "But ... my car!" 

Annie, mid-chew, finally spoke up. "You mean that hunk of junk you drive that's run by a hamster on a wheel?" 

Bobby's face went red. 

"I'll take that as a yes. Look, Bobby, you should be thankful! Some things weren't supposed to survive the eighties ... Ford escorts, shoulder pads, Sheena Easton..." 

"You don't understand, Annie," Bobby began to explain as he motioned to Hank to get him some pancakes. "That car meant a lot to me--" 

"You had a nice stereo, didn't you?" 

"Not the point, Peckenpaugh!" Bobby rubbed his temples. "Look, everyone here has their own car. With the exception of a few, the professor has bought them all. I was one of the exceptions. I bought that car with my own money, and now it's just a pile of ashes." 

Hank paused before handing Bobby some pancakes. "Bobby ... you didn't keep Lady Jaye's ashes, did you?" 

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Jubilee's red Sabrina heels clicked reluctantly in the halls. To the casual observer, it would appear that the girl didn't want to make too much noise. Well, to the casual observer who had never met, seen, or heard of Jubilation Lee before in their life, or had known anyone who had. To those that had, they knew the reason Jubilee was walking so slowly. 

"I'll miss you." 

Click. 

"I'll miss you, more." 

Clack. 

"Not as much as I'll miss you!" 

Click. 

"I wouldn't wager that, because I'll miss you that much more!" 

Clack. 

"Everett, you are so sweet!" 

Jubilee stayed in place as Ev began to kiss What's-Her-Face v. 4.0 and then ran to the nearest bathroom. 

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Annie leaned up snugly against the most comfortable wooden chair she had ever been in. The fact that she only had about two hours of sleep the night before helped a lot in that opinion. At that moment, Annie would have slept on a bed of nails if it would have meant she could sleep. Trying to fake Hank into thinking she was reading while taking a quick nap would have to do for now. 

"Uhm, Annie?" 

Annie jerked her head back up and looked up at Hank. "Yes?" 

Hank tapped his finger at a picture of the statue of David in her book. "He IS dreamy, isn't he?" 

Annie blushed as she ran a hand across her wet mouth. "I am so sorry, Hank, I'm just so tired, I--" 

"Annie," Hank said softly while chuckling. "It happens to all of us." 

"Even you?" 

"Oh, stars, no!" Hank laughed at the thought that studying might possibly be boring, but stopped quickly as he saw red lines on her face from the book she was using not to study and learn, but as a pillow. "Bobby, however, used to do it all the time when he first got here ... it was a miracle he managed to pass most of his classes." 

"A miracle named McCoy?" 

Hank laughed. "Well, I helped a bit, I suppose." 

He let Annie smile for a few more seconds before tapping the book on Greek architecture. 

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"Bobby! Phone!" Rogue hollered towards the rec room where Bobby sat sulking. 

"Tell Mom that I'm in the shower!" 

"Bobby, it's not your mother, it's some other gal..." Rogue uncovered the receiver to speak to the other party. "Sorry, honey, but what did ya say your name was? Okay, hold on." Rogue covered the receiver once more and shouted out to Bobby reluctantly. "It's Opal!" 

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Harpo looked at his watch as he took it off to wash his hands. "Great," he said out loud. "Ah'm gonna be late..." Harpo dried his hands on his loose fitting jeans and played a bit with his shoulder length sandy brown hair when he saw a small female figure huddled in the corner. "Uh ... this is the men's room, right?" he asked the girl. 

Jubilee looked up and blinked a few times. "Who in the hell are you?" 

Harpo walked over to her and held out his hand. "Harpo. Ah just transferred here yesterday ... you are?" 

"Jubilee," she replied while tossing back her blonde hair. "I didn't know anyone new was coming here." 

"And Ah didn't know that you ran the school," Harpo commented as he raised his eyebrows in mock amazement. 

"Okay, those who are named after one of the Ritz Brothers are not allowed to cast judgement. And if you must know, I am the eyes, ears, throat, nose, and everything else at this school. Nothing happens unless I know about it first." 

"And if you must know, you're thinking about the Marx Brothers, not the Ritz. Different comedy team." 

"Eh." 

Harpo blinked. ""Eh?" "EH?!" You "eh'd" the Marx Brothers?!" 

Jubilee shrugged. "Yep." 

"YOU DO NOT "EH" THE MARX BROTHERS!!" 

"Look, I never saw any of their movies--" 

Harpo doubled over. "Tell me you did not say that! How can you live without seeing a Marx Brothers movie?!" 

"Pretty damn well, I think!" 

Harpo shook his head. "Ah don't think so. After school, you're coming up to mah room and Ah am going to make you watch "A Night at the Opera". Not mah personal favorite, but the most newbie friendly. Now, Ah think we gotta get goin' ta class." 

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"So, do you understand the class distinctions of the Ionic and Doric era, and the horrible wrongness of the whole Corinthian fad?" 

Annie nodded. "Doric is the early Batman years with Bill Keane, the Ionic is Frank Miller's Dark Knight series, and Corinthian is the t.v. show with Adam West, right?" 

Hank beamed. "You got it!" Hank got up from his chair to hug Annie, when he saw Bobby sticking his head in the door. "Yes, Robert?" 

"I, uh ... need to talk to you, Hank. In private." 

Hank nodded. "It'll only be a moment, Annie. Keep reading." 

Annie waited until Hank was gone before picking up her Soap Opera Digest to read. "Oh, my ... Kay Bennett, you minx!" Annie read on for a bit before she heard the conversation in the hall grow more heated. She put aside the magazine and strained to listen until Hank came back into the room, nostrils flaring. "Uhm ... that didn't sound good..." 

"Why should I care if he chooses to ruin his life? Why should I even care, it's not like I'm his best friend or any such nonsense." 

"Hank ... what happened." 

"He's going out tonight on a date." 

Annie smiled. "So? That's good--" 

"With Opal Tanaka." 

Annie's brow buried. "Opal ... oh, God, NO!" 

"You've heard of Opal?" 

Annie winced in pain at the memory of the picture she saw that was forever burned into her memory. She doubted that it was just her mutant power that kept it there. "Can we talk about the pants?" 

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Everett Thomas smiled as he saw Jubilee and the new kid walk into class. "Hey, how was California?" 

Jubilee shrugged as she sat next to Ev. "It was fine ... I guess." 

"How's Bobby?" 

"He's fine. His family is just trippier than I expected, though." 

"The Drakes'?" 

"No, his mother's family, the Bass's." 

Harpo poked Jubilee. "In Santa Monica?" 

Jubilee squinted. "Yeah..." 

"Did you meet Hollis?" 

Jubilee turned green. 

"You met Aunt Hollis!" 

Jubilee shook her head as she made the connection while Everett looked on. "You're a Lubbock?!" 

Harpo nodded reluctantly. "We aren't all that bad ... hey, did you get to meet any of the others?" 

"Yeah, a few ... I met Holly and her son, Bert ... didn't meet Cliff, he being, uh ... dead." 

Harpo nodded. "Ah never met Holland and Heathcliff. Aunt Hollis ... she was heartbroken when her husband ran away with her kids--" 

"Excuse me?!" Jubilee interrupted. "Damn, that woman can lie..." 

"What do you mean?" 

Jubilee shushed him as the bell rang. "Later." 

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She knew she was supposed to be studying, but watching Hank McCoy ... that was something Annie decided was much more worthy of studying than the Odyssey. 

Sitting in a stuffed leather chair, Hank's glasses were perched on top of his head, serving as a lazy headband to push back the thick, blue fur that threatened to cover his eyes. He stared intently on a small ball of lint on the oriental carpet like it could destroy the entire balance of nature if it should fall into the wrong hands. 

This was the look Hank McCoy got when he was thinking about a problem, though this wasn't the usual problem concerning science -- the boyish gleam Hank got in his eyes when thinking about science wasn't there. Instead, it was something Annie had never seen before in the calm, gentle Hank McCoy. 

"Hank, are you pissed off at Bobby?" 

Hank rolled his eyes. "Has none of my eloquence rubbed off on you yet, Annie?" 

"Fine, fine ... are you **perturbed** at Bobby?" 

Hank nodded. 

"And you're trying to find a way to stop him from going out on his date with some sort of zany scheme?" 

Hank raised an eyebrow. "Annie, you didn't say you were telepathic..." 

Annie shook her head. "I can see it in your body language. Just as good as telepathy, sometimes. It's a habit of mine I picked up from when I played softball back in school..." Annie saw Hank's left eyebrow twitch. "You just found your idea, didn't you?" 

Hank smiled as he nodded. "Annie, would you like to accompany me to dinner tonight?


	3. When in Rome, pt 2

****

**Standard Mice Disclaimer**

Mice is in no way associated with the Marvel Comics Group. She is merely trying to write a story and this is all she has to show for it. A noble effort. Though she would one day like to be paid for writing, please don't send her any money (send mail to urmonkeyifudo@yeahright.com on instructions to send her money). The characters of Bobby Drake, Hank McCoy and Jubilee, belong to the Marvel Comics Group. Holland, Jacob, Bert, Cliff, Hollis, Annie, Gary, and Nan are of my own mind. Any archiving of this story that is unaware of her attention will be ily received (Read: Tikki Curse). If you e-mail her, explain your intentions to archive the story and address of your archive, she will be more than gracious and will probably do something nice for you, like bake you brownies, not to mention archiving the story. She just wants to know where she can drool over the sight of her name. If you want to e-mail her comments, do it at esily@aol.com. You'll also get some brownies out of the deal, but it's not really that great of a reward because she can't cook. 

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When in Rome

By Mice

Chapter 2

"Your shirt has ruffles. Light blue ruffles." 

Not the first thing Bobby Drake would have expected to come out of his ex-girlfriend's mouth upon seeing him for the first time in a year, but it would have to do, especially when she looked good. Not good for her, but actually, in truth, good. 

"Uh ... yeah. It was my grandfather's ... my grandmother sent it home with me..." 

Opal nodded slowly and smirked. "Definitely interesting." 

"So, are you ready?" 

Opal smiled. "I suppose I am." 

Bobby plastered a fake grin. I was supposed to ask that question silently and to myself.

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"Oh my stars--" 

"--and my garters," Annie finished for Hank as she raised the short hem of her green dress to reveal one of her garters. "Feel special, Hank. I don't do stockings, but seeing as how you are in desperate need and how you want this date to look as real as possible..." 

"--garters," Hank finished for himself, enticed by the quick flash of female flesh. Annie continued to grin, happy for the male attention. 

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" 

Hank nodded slowly, almost shyly. 

Annie blushed. "For me, too."

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Harpo quickly cleaned up his room as he heard a knock on the door. "Just a minute..." After stuffing all of his garbage underneath the bed, he ran a hand through his hair and opened the door. "Sorry, Ah just had ta straighten up." 

"Stuffed everything under the bed, right?" Jubilee cracked as she entered. 

"Not everything!" Harpo protested. He went over to his v.c.r. and pushed in the tape. "You are going to love this, Jubilee." 

"Let it never be said that I am unopen for new experiences." 

Harpo grinned. "Ah'm glad. You are now mah first official friend here." 

Jubilee beamed. "Cool."

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Bobby took a sip of his water to avoid conversation. Despite what Hank said, Opal had very few things in common with a saltine cracker, and that was what had always scared him about Opal. 

"So, how has your year been, Bobby?" 

"All right. Dad got into an accident, so I stayed home for a bit ... my cousin died..." 

"Nothing happy?" 

"Dad and I are getting along better." 

Opal smiled genuinely. "I'm glad." 

Bobby glanced nervously at the door again, hoping for some deus ex machina to come through and save him from being such an idiot. 

"Bobby? Are you expecting someone?" 

Bobby turned his head back to Opal, who was smiling brilliantly. "Huh? Uh, no." 

"Really? Because Hank just walked in with some woman." 

Bobby grinned, happy that someone heard his prayers. "'Some woman'? Trish?" It was the only person he could think of that Hank would be with at a restaurant like this. 

"No, shorter. Less famous. Brown hair." 

Bobby turned and smiled. "Oh, that's just Annie. Hank's been tutoring her. They're just probably on a study break." 

Opal raised her eyebrows. "I don't know, Bobby, they look awfully cozy to have just a student teacher relationship..." 

Bobby looked back once more this his best friend. "C'mon, this is Hank ... he swore off women and publicly declared Twinkies as his new mistress!" 

Opal shrugged. 

"Seriously, O," Bobby grinned as he joked comfortably. "He brought all of us in the dining room and made a big production of it." 

"I think they look cute together!" 

"Opal, the man had a gong!" 

"He's ordering for her...." 

"Didn't you hear me? Gong! Gongs make things official! Wait ... did he just brush her cheek?"

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"Excuse me, Annie, but there is an eyelash..." Hank reached out to her cheek and brushed it away with a grin. "There." 

"Thanks." Annie looked around the restaurant slowly. "It's so big ... and nice. There was nothing like this in Pallas." 

"Nothing?" 

"Well, there was a Sizzler..." 

Hank chuckled. "Pallas sounds a lot like Dunfee. A main drag, the local diner, population of under ten thousand..." 

"Who would ever think...! Hank McCoy, are you trying to tell me that you're white trash?" 

"No, no," Hank shook his head smiling. 

"Blue trash?" 

"I'm a farm boy." 

Annie blushed. "Really?" 

"Yes ... now why the blush?" 

"I had the biggest crush on this guy in high school, Tony Julius, and he was a farm boy in every sense of the word. The build, the tan, the build..." Annie cooed. "He played catcher for the boy's varsity baseball team, and I, being the girl's varsity catcher, we'd get to talk ever so often." Annie paused. "I'm sorry, I gotta be boring you..." 

"Annie, gossip is weakness, whether I know all parties or not," Hank replied with a gleam in his eyes. "Did anything happen between you and the farm boy?" 

Annie shook her head. "I was committed to Lindsey, what could I have done?" 

"Exactly what Lindsey did to you?" 

Annie sighed. "Maybe I'm naive, but I couldn't cheat on my boyfriend. I just don't understand it ... it's the ultimate selfish act because you're knowingly hurting someone you supposedly care about for some cheap acts of affection and then say, 'It's not you, it's me.' Let me tell you first hand, Hank, that it does nothing to console the hurting party. How are you not supposed to feel rejected after a line like that?" Annie's eyes drifted to the napkin laying in front of her. "I just don't understand." 

"Annie," Hank called out to her. Not succeeding in lifting her head up by the sound of his voice, he lifted her head up with his hand. "Annie, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. It happens to all of us." 

Annie blinked as she tried to understand. This could not have happened. Not to Dr. Henry Phillip McCoy, the man who stops on the sidewalks to play with puppies and retrieved lost frisbees for kids in the park. Not to the Hank McCoy who made her pancakes in the morning and sometimes in the middle of the night when she pounded on his bedroom door. Who in the world would be stupid enough to think that there was someone out there better than Hank?

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Jubilee leaned back on the bed, tired from giggling and smiling. "A Night at the Opera" was as funny as Harpo had promised, but with Harpo's added commentary and impersonations throughout the movie had kept her in stitches all evening. 

"So, Ah take it you liked the movie." 

Jubilee nodded. "I did! And I don't know why, but I find Groucho strangely attractive..." 

Harpo leaned his head on her shoulder and wiggled his eyebrows, to which Jubilee responded to with giggles. 

"Stop that!" 

"Stop what?" Harpo said in his best Groucho while continuing to waggle his eyebrows. 

"That! It's too damn cute -- stop it!!" 

Harpo grinned confidently. "So you find men who waggle their eyebrows attractive ... interesting. What else do you usually go for?" 

Jubilee straightened herself out to buy time before answering. "Well ... I ... like ... uhm ... guys. Nice guys." 

"And?" 

Jubilee blinked. "Uhm..." 

A sharp knock interrupted Jubilee, who breathed a huge sigh of relief. Harpo jogged to the door. "Hi!" 

Paige Guthrie blinked. "Uhm ... hi." Paige shook her head as she began to talk. "I just wanted to welcome you to Xaviers and was wondering if you would like a tour of the campus." 

Harpo turned to look at Jubilee who was gagging on the bed. "Sure. Are you the class president or something?" 

Paige smiled as she retrieved something from her book bag. "Funny you mention that..." The flier had Paige's picture on it with the slogan, "Paige for President". Harpo was a little let down by the lack of creativity, but sensed that this was the best the girl could do. 

"So, is the tour now or--" 

Paige looked at her watch and shook her head. "Right now, I have to study for a pop quiz in French. I will be back in exactly thirty-five minutes. I look forward to seeing you then." Paige took Harpo's hand and shook it vigorously. "So long!" 

Harpo squinted as he watched Paige walk in quick, precise, and efficient steps and shook his head. "What is wrong with that girl?" 

Jubilee ignored the open gateway for some free style Paige bashing to think about Harpo's question. What in the hell do I go for in guy?

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Annie glanced casually over to Bobby. "He seems to be squirming a little..." 

"I told him that this was a horrible idea..." 

"She seems to be having a good time..." 

"Honestly? You mean she's not complaining or throwing some sort of obnoxious fit of some sort?" 

"She's laughing happily, actually..." 

Hank chose not to dignify that with an answer. Instead, he took out a small notebook from his jacket with a pen and handed it to Annie. "Tell me, for the sake of gossip in the mansion, how does she look? As in, what is she wearing? Any earrings?" 

Annie grabbed the notebook and shoved it in her purse. "Honestly, Hank, this is the one time I think my powers will come in handy..." Annie turned and looked towards Bobby's table once more. "Okay, Opal ... damn ... she actually looks pretty good. Nice, fitted black blouse with a red, knee length skirt -- is that cashmere? She has a cashmere skirt! A red cashmere skirt!" 

Hank blinked. "The thrift store queen is wearing cashmere? Wait ... she's wearing a skirt?!" 

"And the boots, Hank, the boots...!" 

"Tell me, are they horrible, pleather ankle boots?" 

"Nope. Wonderful, wonderful suede black ones that I want..!" 

"Cheap suede?" Hank asked hopefully. 

"They look like butter." 

"How about the earrings?" 

"Hoops. Silver. She looks very chic." 

"I think I'm going to be sick..." 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, the gallery is exhibiting my latest works, thankfully," Opal beamed. 

"Are you still into favoritism?" 

"'Favoritism'?" 

"You know, that one style of painting that you did..." 

"Fauvism, Bobby!" Opal giggled. 

Bobby grunted. "Sorry." 

Opal smiled. "Have you done any more painting?" 

Bobby shook his head. 

"And why not?" 

"Just haven't had the time, I guess..." 

"You guess? Bobby--" Opal sighed. "I'll stop. You know you're talented, so anything I'll say will just be a repeat of the same old argument." Opal sighed. "So ... are you seeing anybody?" 

"That was an awkward seguay." 

Opal shrugged. "An awkward seguay for an awkward moment." 

Bobby cleared his throat before he took another sip of his drink. "Well ... no. That's the reason I called you." 

Opal nodded. "I'm not seeing anybody ... well, anymore. I just broke up with--" 

"Howard." Bobby said pointedly. 

"Yeah, Howard." Opal coughed. "You might be happy to know that he was cheating on me." 

Bobby growled. 

Opal nodded. "I deserve that ... look, Bobby, it was just an awkward time there ... you weren't around for me to tell you and you shouldn't have had to find out like that--" 

Bobby played with his hair. "There should have been nothing to find out, Opal. I was still your boyfriend--" 

"A boyfriend is there for his girlfriend! He doesn't just take off and leave for unspecified amounts of time!" 

"Opal, it was my job! You knew that and still expected me to be someone different!" 

"You don't understand, Bobby--" 

"That's an understatement, Opal! An understatement!" 

Opal stared at Bobby for a while, opting not to respond right away. "Is this why you called me up, Bobby? To yell at me?" 

Bobby sighed. "No ... I mean ... damn it!" Bobby began to play with his hair again. "I miss you, Opal." 

Opal shook her head. "You always say that, Bobby. You always say that you miss me ... the whole time, whenever you called me up, it was to tell me that you missed me. Did it ever occur to you that I missed you, Bobby Drake? That during one of your absences with your friends that I missed you?" 

"How much could you have missed me if you slept with other people!" Bobby yelled. 

Opal brought a hand to her head as a blush settled on her cheeks and silence went across the restaurant. "And how could you have missed me when you didn't even know me?" 

Bobby went pale as he began to explain. "B-but we slept together, we loved each other!" 

"Is that all a relationship is to you, Bobby? Sleeping together? Is that all our relationship was to you?" Opal got up from her seat. "Good night, Bobby." 

"Opal, wait--!" Bobby went to grab Opal's arm, but only caught a handful of her shirt. 

"You don't miss me, Bobby, you miss having someone there. I'd say girlfriend, but I don't think you would know what one was even if you slept with her." Opal walked out of the restaurant, and the patrons finally began to talk. Bobby, standing in the middle of it all, didn't feel well enough to sit down yet, and so, he began making the long trek to Hank's table.


	4. When in Rome, pt 3

****

**Standard Mice Disclaimer**

Mice is in no way associated with the Marvel Comics Group. She is merely trying to write a story and this is all she has to show for it. A noble effort. Though she would one day like to be paid for writing, please don't send her any money (send mail to urmonkeyifudo@yeahright.com on instructions to send her money). The characters of Bobby Drake, Hank McCoy and Jubilee, belong to the Marvel Comics Group. Holland, Jacob, Bert, Cliff, Hollis, Annie, Gary, and Nan are of my own mind. Any archiving of this story that is unaware of her attention will be ily received (Read: Tikki Curse). If you e-mail her, explain your intentions to archive the story and address of your archive, she will be more than gracious and will probably do something nice for you, like bake you brownies, not to mention archiving the story. She just wants to know where she can drool over the sight of her name. If you want to e-mail her comments, do it at esily@aol.com. You'll also get some brownies out of the deal, but it's not really that great of a reward because she can't cook. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

When in Rome

By Mice

Chapter 3

Jubilee closed her algebra book with a satisfied thunk to signal that she was through with the study portion of Study Hall, and to garner the attention of her roommate. "You know what, Guthers? This stuff really comes in handy!" 

Paige peeked up from behind her copy of Macbeth. "Did you say something, Jubilee?" 

Jubilee held up her algebra book as if it were the word of God. "This stuff rocks! I mean, I didn't know this thing could be so damn useful!" 

"Math?" 

"Yeah! You know how they keep telling us that we need to know all this math and how it'll come in handy one day?" 

"Yes." 

"It just became handy!" 

Paige smiled. "How so?" Jubilee plopped her notebook down in front of Paige, beaming. She skimmed it and snickered. "Jubilee's Theory of Relationship Relativity?" 

"Yeah, it's crude, but I think I'm on to something ... see ... A stands for gorgeous brooding guy while the B stands for dippy pretty girl ... okay, for the sake of simplicity, A is Jono and B is you." 

"Hey!" 

"Okay, okay...we'll use the Buffyverse, okay? A is for Angel, and B is for Buffy." 

"Hey, that fits!" 

"Well, seeing as how they were the prototype for all of this, it's not a coincidence." Jubilee cleared her throat. "Now, you see, A is equal, or attracted to, B, and B, likewise, is attracted to A. However, A always angst appeal, as shown by the small s. B is still attracted to As, however, B always has naivety, goody-goodiness, or random un-angsty things, as shown by the z, and, unfortunately, though As is attracted to B, it is not compatible to Bz. With me so far?" 

"Jono didn't like me because he was angsty and I wasn't?" 

"We're talking about Buffy and Angel! And the formula isn't perfected, yet." Jubilee turned to the next page. "Now, here we have specimen X, the nice guy. Think of him as Xander. Now, X is attracted to B. X is also attracted to Bz. However, B or Bz is not attracted to X because he lacks angst, the small s. What X does have is another small x, because, hey, he's that nice of a guy. 

"Now, we introduce W, or Willow. Now, W is attracted to X. Especially to Xx. W also has the z factor that B, which X is attracted to, but X is not attracted to W or to Wz." 

Paige rolled her eyes. "And the point?" 

Jubilee growled angrily. "The point is, X's are only attracted to Bz's, and though Wz has all the same traits, X is only attracted to B, meaning that in truth, the second letter doesn't really matter because all people care about is what other people look like, and not how nice and caring and supportive they are because if they did, Ev--!" Jubilee stopped herself as she realized how loudly she was talking and gained eye contact with Harpo Lubbock. "Never mind." 

Harpo, slap happy grin plastered on his face since catching Jubilee's eye, bounded over to her table. "Whatcha doin'?" 

Paige rolled her eyes as she answered for Jubilee. "Studying, Harper--" 

"Harpo." 

"Whatever, Harper." 

Harpo rolled his eyes before turning back to Jubilee who was paying close attention to a lint ball on her sleeve. His eyes went over to the open notebook by Paige. "Is this yours, Paige?" 

"It's none of your business, actually," Paige said in her best calm and confident voice. 

Harpo picked up the notebook and smiled. "There's a missing variable..." Harpo plucked a pen from his pocket and wrote in the notebook. "It's just from the hip, but Ah've always been pretty good at math ... take a look at it when you have the time." Harpo tossed the notebook Jubilee's way. "Ah'll see you later, Jubilee." 

Paige glared as Harpo made his way back to his table. "I really don't like that guy. Did you know that all during his tour of the campus, he insisted on stopping and talking to everyone we passed by? How am I supposed to study for our chem test next Friday, hmm? Where am I going to find that missing hour?" 

Paige droned on, but Jubilee blocked her out as she picked up the notebook and saw what Harpo wrote: 

"The factor of O is equal to Wz. The question to be asked now is if Wz can be equal to O." 

Jubilee bit her lip and blushed as she shoved her notebook into her back pack and picked up the copy of Macbeth to tune out the persistent rantings of her roommate.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Annie took a big bite of Count Chocula cereal as she glared at the wall in front of her from her position on her bed. The cereal was cold and in no way resembled pancakes. More importantly, she made it herself. 

"I hate my free day." 

Bobby stumbled into Annie's room and looked around. "Hank, are you in here?" 

Annie's spoon fell into her bowl with a thunk. "Hey, Drake!" She whistled. "Over here! Only person in room! MY room! What is your prognosis?" 

"Then where's Hank?" 

"Hank no here. Only Annie." Annie thumped a hand on her chest to solidify her independence. "Ow." And to bruise her boobies. 

"Damn!" Bobby walked in and laid on Annie's bed, much to Annie's chagrin. "You have cereal--" 

"That I made myself!" Annie snapped, protecting her bowl. 

Bobby pouted. "C'mon, Annie, just a bite?" His hands reached out to tickle her sides. 

"Don't even think about it, Robert Linus Drake!" 

Bobby froze in place, stupefied. "Wha--?" 

"You heard me." 

"But no one knows that! Hank doesn't know that!" 

Annie smiled. "But I know it." 

"But how?!" 

Annie purred. "That's my secret ... for a while at least." 

"What am I going to have to do to keep you from spilling this to everyone?" Bobby scowled.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I would hold of the hand of the one who could take me places/And kiss the lips of the who could sing so sweet... 

"I hate you, Annie." 

"Just up and enjoy the show, Bobby." 

"Now, is this the soap with Luke and Laura?" 

"Nope." 

A pause. 

"The one with the witch and the doll?" 

Don't hurt Timmy's sweet princess! 

"Oh yes." 

"I REALLY hate you, Annie."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hank McCoy tapped his watch impatiently. It was odd being out of the house at this time of the day, securing a night at the opera rather than sitting at home during the day watching the soap opera. 

A smile further softened Hank's face as he continued to drive further into the country. Annie had come to him, a sweet, simple country girl from the farm country and in the mere few months under his tutelage, she had grown into a fairly literate companion and was ready for the next step in her education. She had grown into quite a protégé of his. 

"About time," he muttered under his breath, beginning one of his self famed rants. "If Wolverine can have not one, but two protégés, why is it so inconceivable that I can? What is it about the man, Henry, that makes young girl's flock to his feet? It certainly cannot be the hair ... if it were a matter of hair, the elf, the wolf, and myself would have to beat off every Mary or Sue that should wander our way..." Henry looked around the empty car to make sure no one was there, for he was going to use unHanklike slang that only Henry knew was very Hanklike. "I gotta protégé!" He honked his horn. "I gotta protégé!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jubilee walked slowly around the campus with her headphones on full blast, blocking out the crude sounds of the world and replacing them with ones of her choosing. She kept a steady gaze on the ground, following the trail of grass that assured her she wasn't walking into any buildings. When a pair of black Converse shoes stood in her path, she could feel her breathing becoming as erratic as the various paths that made up the ground. Her eyes traveled upwards and found herself looking up at Harpo. "Hi." 

Harpo smiled warmly, though Jubilee doubted that he could smile in any other way. Jubilee bit her lip as he did a little turn for her. "Well, what do ya think? Ah finally got mah 'Look at me, Ah'm a preppy!' school uniform." 

"Very nice," Jubilee said shyly. Jubilee also kicked herself mentally. I am not shy! Being shy is not an option here! 

Harpo smiled again and Jubilee blushed. 

"Are you okay, Jubilee?" 

"Peachy." 

"Then why are you blending in with the brick?" 

Jubilee took a deep breath. "Okay, look, I'm gonna do something really risky here because I'm tired of being jerked around by guy's and stuff, okay? It's like this: I think you're incredibly cute and nice and funny and whenever you stand there, doing that cute, boyish thing you do, my heart kinda beats funny, but it's a good funny, and it's been a while since it's done that. The last guy who made my heart do that was kind of oblivious to the fact that I was female, and so, on the chance that you, too, think of me as just a kid sister or just one of the guys, I'm going to go ahead and ask you out before I lose all my nerve, along with my dignity." She cleared her throat and looked at her shoes. "You wanna go out sometime?" 

There was a brief moment of silence in actual time. In Jubilee time, another millennium had passed and people were now worried about Y3K. "Uhm, you wanna say something here, Harpo?" 

"You wanna look up at me, Jubilee?" 

Jubilee nodded as she brought her head up. 

"Good. Now ask me again." 

"You wanna go out sometime?" 

Harpo smiled again. "Nope. Ah got plans. Stayin' in and watching some movies with a girl. You know, watch the movie, sit next ta her, maybe get her ta cuddle up against me and have a popcorn fight. Original, Ah know, but there's a lot less pressure, you know?" 

Jubilee nodded slowly. 

"Good, Ah'm glad we're agreed," Harpo beamed. "So, what kind of movie do you want ta see, Jubilee?" 

"Dear God, you're trying to be cute, aren't you?" 

Harpo leaned over and kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear. "Some of us have ta work at it, you know."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bobby's jaw gaped as the credits rolled. "But there must be more Passions! I want more Passions!" 

"Not for two days, Bobby. Don't worry, we'll make it," Annie reassured him. 

"No, I won't, I won't make it, Annie!" Bobby pouted. "How can I go a full weekend without knowing if Ethan is going to call off the wedding, huh? And what about Luis and Sheridan? How am I supposed to sleep and feel good about the world when so much is keeping them apart?" 

Annie scooted over and began to stroke Bobby's hair. "It'll be all right, Bobby. Everything is going to be all right..." Annie adjusted herself to be eye level with Bobby and looked into his eyes. "Can I tell you a secret, Bobby?" 

Bobby squinted. "Why would you want to tell me a secret?" 

"I feel bad about the whole middle name thing ... I think I may have something that'll cheer you up." Annie looked around for spies and took a deep breath. "My name isn't Annie." 

"It's Ann. Big deal." 

Annie shook her head. "Angina." 

"You are making this up." 

"Hand to God, Linus." 

Bobby shook his head. "No way. I read you driver's license, Miss 5'8", 115lb--" 

"Rough estimate!" 

"--and it says Ann Gina Peckenpaugh'." 

"It's a typo." Annie sighed. 

"So what's the story?" 

"My mother is a nutjob." 

Bobby nodded, not wanting to press the subject of Annie's mother. "Then why 'Annie'?" 

"If your name was Angina...!" 

"Point." 

"You gotta take that to your grave, Bobby. Promise me that, and I won't leak about the middle name, deal?" Annie held out her hand. 

Bobby looked at it for a few moments before deciding to shake it. "Deal."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jubilee grasped her copy of "Day of the Dead" as she looked at herself in the mirror, hoping she looked okay. "I don't look okay..." Jubilee kicked her dresser and began to pace. "This is stupid, it shouldn't matter how I look ... he likes me ... kinda ... but he likes me..." Jubilee groaned and collapsed onto her bed. "I hate this." Jubilee unearthed her head from her pillow and saw her phone. Then she saw her hand reach for the phone, watched as it began to dial a number, and began to chant as she brought the receiver to her ear, "Please pick up, please pick up..." 

"Thank goodness you called, Billie! You should see the crap Jacqueline left for me to watch. Three and a half hours about a boat! We know the boat is going to sink, and it takes James Cameron three and a half hours to prove that? Is that what they're giving out Oscars for today? If so, I have this gripping epic about my toast." 

"I need you to kick my ass, Nana." 

"Boy?" 

"Yes?" 

"Good looking?" 

"Very." 

"How is his ass?" 

"Astounding." 

"Then why are you talking to me, Billie, go and grab it!" 

"His ass or the opportunity?" 

"I don't give a damn, just don't sit in your room, pouting and doubting yourself, go!" 

"But--!" 

"I have to go, Billie, Billy Zane just came on." 

"But--" 

"GO!" 

Jubilee heard a click as Nan Bass hung up the phone. She gingerly put the phone back on the cradle and looked at herself in the mirror once more and then charged out the door, video in hand. 


	5. When in Rome, pt 4

****

**Standard Mice Disclaimer**

Mice is in no way associated with the Marvel Comics Group. She is merely trying to write a story and this is all she has to show for it. A noble effort. Though she would one day like to be paid for writing, please don't send her any money (send mail to urmonkeyifudo@yeahright.com on instructions to send her money). The characters of Bobby Drake, Hank McCoy and Jubilee, belong to the Marvel Comics Group. Holland, Jacob, Bert, Cliff, Hollis, Annie, Gary, and Nan are of my own mind. Any archiving of this story that is unaware of her attention will be ily received (Read: Tikki Curse). If you e-mail her, explain your intentions to archive the story and address of your archive, she will be more than gracious and will probably do something nice for you, like bake you brownies, not to mention archiving the story. She just wants to know where she can drool over the sight of her name. If you want to e-mail her comments, do it at esily@aol.com. You'll also get some brownies out of the deal, but it's not really that great of a reward because she can't cook. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

When in Rome

By Mice

Chapter 4

Annie rushed over to the kitchen table to grab her wallet when she bumped into something tall, hard, and spicy. Unfortunately, it was not a 6'2" jalapeno pepper. Things would have been different. Speech would not have been rendered useless and toes would not have curled. 

"'lo." 

Annie nodded and squeaked out, "Heya." It was a decided improvement from earlier exchanges where Annie would giggle out her greetings. It wasn't that Remy LeBeau was gorgeous, though he was, or that he was charming, because who is more charming than? No, it was the fact that Remy LeBeau had an accent, a seducing Cajun accent that was capable of turning talking into trickery. And at that moment, he could trick her into giving him her panties. 

Bobby entered the kitchen and saw Annie frozen in place, wallet clutched in her hand. Though he wasn't there, Bobby knew. "Saw Gambit again, huh?" 

Annie looked over to him and sniffed. "Doesn't have to be Remy, you know." 

"Yes, but the pure frozen look of lust gives you away," Bobby supplied sagely. "When you see Kurt ... well..." Bobby chuckled as he shook his head. "I gotta get me a camera. That's all I'm gonna say about that." 

Annie and Bobby made their way out of the mansion. "I am not that bad with Kurt." 

Bobby's face slowly contorted from a lazy cocky grin, to an energetic meglomaniacal one. "One word, Annie. Fencing." 

Annie's leg twitched. 

"Fencing." 

It twitched again. 

"With that big, long sw--" 

Annie ran straight into her car. "I hate you, Linus."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

****

One hour later

Bobby Drake pouted as the dealer showed him yet another new car. New, in Bobby Drake's mind, was anything made after 1989, and Bobby Drake wanted a 1985. 

Bobby Drake also didn't know jack about cars. Annie Peckenpaugh did. And Annie Peckenpaugh was afraid when Bobby finally smiled as a dealer showed him another car.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

****

Ten minutes later...

The car was a stick shift. This was one of the first things that made Annie cringe. Bobby could barely figure out how to tie his shoes, let alone master a stick shift. The interior of the car disintegrated at her touch. Also, the inside door handles were gone and the locks were broken. There was a strangely sweet odor of the car, which gave her a headache. The windows only rolled a fourth of the way down. But out of all of these problems, the one Annie didn't like most was the fact that she couldn't get out of the car. 

"Bobby?" 

"--so, how much is it?" 

"Uhm, Bobby?" Her fingernails now scraped at the window. 

"--but for you, son, I'll make it--" 

Annie tried honking the horn to get their attention. "I shouldn't be surprised," she grumbled as the horn remained dormant. Annie leaned back and waited for one of the guys to notice her situation. 

And that's when she heard it. 

"I don' know what kinda deal ya tryin' ta give me, here, but--" 

****

HONK! 

Annie looked at the steering wheel her hand had just crashed into and blushed as the two guys finally paid notice to her. They began to talk once again. 

"Look, I just wantcha ta give me a decent offah--" 

****

HONK! 

"Foah this cah--" 

****

HONK! 

"'Ey, Annie, will ya keep it down?!" 

****

HONK! HONK!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

****

Three minutes later...

"I'm sorry, Bobby." 

"You've said that already." 

"But I really, really mean it." 

"So you keep saying." 

"It was a horrible car, Bobby." 

"I loved that car." 

"It was possessed." 

"True love." 

"If the car only honked when you lightly tapped--" 

"Banged." 

"--on the steering wheel, I'd hate to think what would have happened if you turned on your windshield wipers." 

"It would have been like a James Bond car." A pause. "I love James Bond." 

"I'm sorry, Bobby." 

"Annie, if you just would have said you needed help--" 

"I did! And I was going to wait patiently for you until -- nevermind." 

"What?" 

"Let's just say that I'm stupid and be done with it, okay?" Annie turned her attention to the side of the road, leaving Bobby alone to think and drive. 

"Annie...?" 

"Yes, Bobby?" 

"You weren't ... turned on by my accent, were you?" 

Annie blushed and paid even more attention to the road. "I thought we weren't going to talk about this anymore." 

"Oh, okay." Bobby grinned. "Look 'ere, Annie--" 

A happy whimper, and an even bigger grin. 

"So you like the Long Island accent?" 

A mangled response that was somewhere between, "Sort of" and, "sigh". 

"You want me to talk Long Island to ya?" 

Annie turned to Bobby and looked at him with eyes that anime artists had been trying to perfect for years. Bobby Drake did it with one, simple comment. 

"Girl, don't go freakin' on me ... let's take it slow ... uh ... lox. Bagel. Monatauk. Cream cheese. Uh ... Yankees ... the Mets ... Yankees ... Porn ... Yankees..." 

Annie put her head on Bobby's shoulder and sighed happily. Bobby continued saying random things and even stuck in a few Bostonisms in there ... anything to keep the cute girl with the green eyes sighing happily into his shoulders.


	6. When in Rome, pt 5

****

**Standard Mice Disclaimer**

Mice is in no way associated with the Marvel Comics Group. She is merely trying to write a story and this is all she has to show for it. A noble effort. Though she would one day like to be paid for writing, please don't send her any money (send mail to urmonkeyifudo@yeahright.com on instructions to send her money). The characters of Bobby Drake, Hank McCoy and Jubilee, belong to the Marvel Comics Group. Holland, Jacob, Bert, Cliff, Hollis, Annie, Gary, and Nan are of my own mind. Any archiving of this story that is unaware of her attention will be ily received (Read: Tikki Curse). If you e-mail her, explain your intentions to archive the story and address of your archive, she will be more than gracious and will probably do something nice for you, like bake you brownies, not to mention archiving the story. She just wants to know where she can drool over the sight of her name. If you want to e-mail her comments, do it at esily@aol.com. You'll also get some brownies out of the deal, but it's not really that great of a reward because she can't cook. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

When in Rome

By Mice

Chapter 5

Annie stirred in her bed as she felt a pair of eyes on her and a short stack nearby in her cold and almost damp room. Doing a combination of a stretch and a yawn, she tried to form the word, "strawberries," but it came out sounding more like "snazzlepucks." And despite what Henry McCoy said, deep down, even he had to know that enunciation was secondary where pancakes were concerned. 

With that thought, Annie surmounted all of her strength to lift open one eyelid and saw a spot of blurry blue -- her own gorilla in the morning mist. "Please tell me that I'm not dreaming..." 

"You're not dreaming, Annie," the blue blur said while setting the plate of pancakes on her nightstand before joining her on the bed. He took her hand and wrapped an arm around her frame. "The pancakes just didn't fly themselves in here. You're not having that dream again." 

Annie grinned as she brought her face up to his lips and kissed them gently. "I've missed you, Hank," she purred as she broke away and went back to sleep, snuggling with her pillow. 

Bobby Drake, clad in his favorite blue sweater, slowly arose from the bed, the kiss still throbbing on his lips and the comment still stinging his pride.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jubilee stared at her alarm clock click from 6:31 a.m. to 6:32 a.m. Even though it was a Saturday. Well, even though it was a day that ended with the letters d, a, and y. It was a well known fact that Jubilation Lee didn't do mornings -- they were something to be slept through. 

Jubilee hadn't slept since the night before. 

Three dates, she cursed privately in her head. Three dates and nothing but pecks on the cheek and forehead. No petting, no groping, not even hand holding. 

He's gay, that's all there is to it. I mean, I've gotten further with Gambit than this guy! 

6:33 a.m. 

She punched her pillow for the twentieth time that night, no longer in a vain quest for sleep, but as an outlet for frustration.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"And she called me 'Hank', Warren. HANK!" Bobby pouted as he threw the decorative pillow across the room. 

"As much as I enjoy waking up before eight a.m. on the weekends, Bobby--" 

"I'm sorry, Warren. You know how much I enjoy being up before one p.m. on Saturday, right? And I got up really early and called my mother up and asked for her pancake recipe and cleaned up my mess and everything. Imagine my disappointment when she calls me 'Hank'." 

Warren stopped and conceded to this point. "You never get up early on Saturday for anyone." 

"Exactly! I even squeezed the orange juice myself!" 

"Bobby!" 

"What?" 

"You really like her, don't you?" 

Bobby pouted in the chair. "I dunno. I guess, yeah. I mean, she's just so nice and we have a lot of fun when we're together ... and last night ... it was just incredible." 

"What happened?" 

Bobby began to beam as he talked. "We came home from looking for a car, and I had my arm around her the entire time, right? And we were both still so awake, we decided to watch movies, and we began sitting kinda far apart, but then we just got closer and closer, and before long, I'm holding her again. And her taste in movies ... it's like we share the same brain or something, and we had seen the ones we were watching a million times -- " 

"You guys watched 'Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure' and you're calling it romantic?" 

Bobby growled. "For your information, Warren, we didn't watch it because the tape broke while she was rewinding it and it is too a romantic movie!" He sighed. "It was just amazing. We talked until three a.m. and the movies were more background noise than anything else ... to be honest, I haven't gone to sleep, yet. I just couldn't wait to see her again. I mean, I tried, but she's right there down the hall, and I wanted to be up incase she woke up ... then, I decided that if she were to wake up, she'd be hungry ... it was just so amazing, Warren." 

Warren went over to his friend and pointed to the nearest mirror. "Check yourself out, Bobby Drake. You are smitten." 

"Maybe..." 

"You juiced oranges for this girl, you are thoroughly smitten." 

Bobby took a minute to smile before reality came crashing back down on him. "But she called me Hank and kissed me. I'd say it was early and she was blurry eyed, but you don't confuse me with Hank. I'm part Swedish, I don't have the body hair problem, y'know?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The contents of Hank's brain sloshed around in his head like a load of laundry as he slowly got up from the couch. The room would have been all right except for the glaring brightness of the light from the v.c.r. And there was noise; loud and penetrating and coming from the refrigerator. "Ow..." 

Hank McCoy was experiencing his first hangover in five years and possibly his first one night stand since college.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Warren snorted. This was a very rare occurrence for the former playboy. For Warren Kenneth Worthington, III to snort, planets had to be aligned in such an order or a jade monkey had to be uncovered from a secret mine in Machu Pichu. But a sight more glorious and an event much more momentous was watching Bobby Drake trying to walk down the hall. 

"You are not helping, Warren." 

"What do you want me to do? Fly you out the window and to the first floor?" 

"If you were a true friend, yes." 

"Well, why don't you just ice slide yourself out the window?" 

"That's a bit immature, don't you think?" 

Warren rolled his eyes. "Bobby, what is your problem?" 

"The door is open. Annie might be in there and see me and I might do something stupid and--" 

"Bobby ... " 

"Okay, I'll definitely do something stupid." 

"See, I thought you didn't even like Annie. That you thought she was a dumb hick." 

"And I drove across the country with Rogue because I am such a good friend. Sure. Whatever, Warren." Bobby looked his friend in the eyes. "She's just cute ... and nice ... and almost normal. How often do women come in this package?" 

Warren blinked. "Really? That's all you're looking for in a woman? Because Scott and I thought that your tastes were a bit more ... uh ... exotic." 

"I'm not gay, Warren." 

"And I'm not Jubilee, Bobby. We just thought that you liked the more ... bear with me, I'm trying to be gentle..." 

"You thought I liked the more aloof, condescending, puppy kicking type?" 

"Couldn't put it better myself." 

Bobby sighed as he leaned up against the window in the hallway. "Well, then I guess it's time for a change."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Fake ... fake ... fake ... damn! Au natural, por favor!" Angelo threw the Fredericks of Hollywood catalog across the room in frustration. 

"Careful, Ange, that isn't mine," Jubilee growled as she went to pick it up. 

"It's not ... " Angelo pointed to the bed across the room. 

"Skin, the Sears catalog is too racy for her." 

It was Angelo's turn to growl. "Then whose catalog is it?" 

Jubilee pouted. "Harpo's." 

"Not Mr. J. Crewe, Hayseed Part Two!" Angelo laughed. 

"Cut that out, it isn't funny!" 

"So, did he give this to you and that's why you're all moody?" 

"No, I found it in his room." Jubilee's arms unfolded from her chest. "No wonder this guy hasn't touched me, Angelo! I still look like I need a training bra!" 

"Knock it off with the Judy Blume angst! Ugh! Next thing you'll be tellin' me is that you're on your period or something." 

"You are so sensitive, Espinosa." 

Angelo shook his head. "Jubilee, I'm just trying to get you to smile or something, okay?" 

"It wasn't funny." 

"I came up with it in three seconds, what do you want, the Marx Brothers?" 

With that comment, Jubilee took the catalog and threw it across the room. "He looks so damn innocent and unassuming ... he's just using me, right? I mean, he has to be using me, what other explanation could there be?" 

"He wants to take things slow?" 

"He kissed me on the cheek right after I asked him out! He hates me and just doesn't know how to get rid of me yet." 

Angelo went over and put his arms around Jubilee. "Look, chica, honestly, I think you're just trying to sabotage this whole thing. Things didn't go so well with Everett and now, to you at least, things aren't going so well with Harpo. You just don't want to be hurt again, right?" 

"Yeah ... " 

"He's not going to hurt you, Jubilee. Everything's different. The rules have changed. I mean, just look at you, Pineapple Head. You've changed." 

"I look good as a blonde." 

"I know you do, but I'm still going to call you Pineapple Head." Angelo let her go and looked her in the eyes. "Just be patient Jubilee ... seriously, you don't want to rush into things too soon. Enjoy what you got now, okay?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Annie bounced into the kitchen smiling with the plate that had once held the best stack of pancakes that had ever snuck themselves into her bedroom. Or ever. 

"Good, morning, Warren!" Annie grinned as she began to rinse off her plate. "Hey, Kurt! How are you?" 

Kurt Wagner sat stunned. Up until this point, he thought that the newest recruit had a speech impediment. "Just fine, Annie. Yourself?" 

"Peachy keen, jelly bean!" With her glass clean, she turned to the two men at the breakfast table and waved. "See you guys later!" 

Once the coast was clear, Kurt raised an eyebrow and looked at Warren. "Sex?" 

Warren shook his head. "Pancakes."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I hope you enjoy macrobiotics, Henry. It's a more efficient way of living up to our digestive potential." 

Hank smiled politely as he took the drink that was handed to him. "Thank you." 

Dr. Emily Clay-Poole sat gracefully in her ocean blue leather chair, opposite her companion. "I hardly ever get to entertain guests, Henry. Forgive me if I acted out of character last night." 

"To be honest, Emily, I don't remember a thing about last night after those drinks we had at dinner." 

Emily nodded. "I was surprised to find out that a man of your stature and size was so susceptible to the affects of alcohol." 

"So please forgive me if I acted out of character last night ... uhm ... " Hank trailed off, embarrassed about what he wanted to ask. 

"No, Henry. Nothing happened. You were playing the piano, attempting to be Billy Joel, when I went to bed alone." A sad smile appeared on her face. "In fact, I was surprised to see you on the couch and not asleep on the keys." 

Hank let out a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry, Emily, it's just that I'm not one for one night stands and I am not into ruining friendships like that." 

"Of course, Henry." Another sad smile. "But we did have fun, didn't we?" 

"I do not remember much, but all of it does seem pleasant, Emily," Hank nodded. "Though one of the things I do remember is asking you for some assistance, though I don't recall you ever giving me an answer. Do you think you can help the friend I told you about?" 

Emily smiled. "I am the single most gifted surgeon on the East Coast. I think I can do a simple knee surgery."

(NextA Night at the Opera)


	7. When in Rome, pt 6

****

**Standard Mice Disclaimer**

Mice is in no way associated with the Marvel Comics Group. She is merely trying to write a story and this is all she has to show for it. A noble effort. Though she would one day like to be paid for writing, please don't send her any money (send mail to urmonkeyifudo@yeahright.com on instructions to send her money). The characters of Bobby Drake, Hank McCoy and Jubilee, belong to the Marvel Comics Group. Holland, Jacob, Bert, Cliff, Hollis, Annie, Gary, and Nan are of my own mind. Any archiving of this story that is unaware of her attention will be ily received (Read: Tikki Curse). If you e-mail her, explain your intentions to archive the story and address of your archive, she will be more than gracious and will probably do something nice for you, like bake you brownies, not to mention archiving the story. She just wants to know where she can drool over the sight of her name. If you want to e-mail her comments, do it at esily@aol.com. You'll also get some brownies out of the deal, but it's not really that great of a reward because she can't cook. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

****

There are some sexual situations in the following chapter

When in Rome

By Mice

Chapter 6

"Robert Drake, why do you have a pair of thong panties on your head?" 

"I derive power from them, Warren. When I wear the panties, I am a god."

"Just on your head, right?"

"Yes, Warren."

Warren sighed in relief as he shook his head. "Who's are they, Opal's?"

It was Bobby's turn to shake his purple thonged head. "You'll never guess."

"Sure I will ... I know they're not Cloud's because they would be boxers..."

"Ahem."

"Okay ... uhm ... uhm ... damn it, Popsicle, you really haven't had much play, have you?"

"I can't believe you just said 'play,' Warren Worthington."

"You stole them, didn't you? Panty raid?"

"Nope. I was given these as a souvenir."

Warren's eyes gleamed. "Of?"

Bobby blushed. "You know..."

"The waitress from Coffee A-Go-Go?"

"Getting closer..."

An evil smile overtook Warren. "Lorna..."

Bobby nodded.

"Lorna was your first?"

Bobby nodded again.

"How was it?"

Bobby blushed again. "She said she had breath mints that had lasted longer."

"Ouch."

"But she let me keep these..." Bobby pulled the panties off of his head and played with the material. "They're like a security blanket."

"Lorna Dane or no Lorna Dane, I'm still vaguely disturbed by this, Bobby. Do you do this often?"

"Only in moments of crisis. When my love life isn't going the way I want it."

"Pretty much a twenty-four hour thing, then?"

"Don't make me pelt you with Opal's panties. If you thought the pants were big--"

Warren turned green. "More Annie angst?"

"Always with Annie angst." Bobby crashed himself on his bed. "I got the panties out to help stimulate my mind as to what I could do to show her that I'm different from Hank." Bobby turned to Warren and glared. "Not a word. People have strange things that comfort them, isn't that right, Mr. Shoe Sniffer?"

Warren blushed at once at the memory of Bobby catching him indulging in a particular fetish.

"If you could get those shoes on your head, you know you would."

"Bobby, you can't spend all your time in here with Lorna Dane's panties on your head doing nothing. Read, watch television, do something creative, but for the love of god, Frostbite, do something!" Warren got up to leave. Before he exited to the hall, he turned and asked, "You did wash those things, right?"

Bobby growled and threw a Koosh ball at the door as his friend left. He grabbed Lorna's thong and scrunched it into a ball. "Okay, panties. I'm going to throw you and you will land in a spot in my room. Whatever you land on will dictate what I will do to fill out the rest of my day. Ready?"

The panties nodded. As best as panties could.

"Angel's away!" Bobby exclaimed as the panties flew threw the air. He watched as they fell on an old sketchbook. He grabbed it and opened it up. In it were his various drawings and sketches. Some were of animals and inanimate objects. But there were other pictures. He flipped past various sketches of drawings he had done of different women in various stages of undress. Bobby never had a live model, though he had asked each of his girlfriends/dates as they cooed at the thought that he had artistic talent. Opal came the closest to agreeing, but they had broken up soon after that agreement.

The pictures were tasteful and well done, at least in Bobby's mind. He didn't draw them out of repressed stirrings in the middle of the night, but because he loved the female form. There was something about the simple, curvy lines that made them up that he found incredible pleasure in drawing.

He closed the book up at once and with a large grin on his face, went to his closet and pulled out his black v-neck sweater and dark gray slacks. Tonight, he was going to be in full artist mode and full artist mode required artist food.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Annie Peckenpaugh's eyes went wide as she looked around the many different aisles in the supermarket with all the different foodstuffs. It was late at night and she was craving something, but didn't know what.

__

Well, I know what, she thought bitterly, _But he's out again with ol'Clay-Drool..._ Annie had taken a quick dislike to Emily Clay-Poole. She knew that the surgeon would soon be working on her knee so she could go back to athletics, but she knew that the good doctor had a horrible crush on her good doctor. And right now, they were out having dinner.

Annie grabbed a box of Rice Krispy treats angrily. "Stupid Cyber."

"At least get the peanut butter ones ... peanut butter **and** chocolate ... far superior to the plain."

Annie lifted her eyes to what she thought was Bobby Drake, except Bobby Drake never wore black anything. Bobby Drake didn't wear cute and sexy glasses. Bobby Drake didn't have brown eyes. Bobby Drake didn't own Converse sneakers that had written on the soles, "Hungry Like Da Wolf."

Okay, that last part was exclusively Bobby Drake.

"Annie?"

"Will you look at you, Bobby Drake..." Annie smiled. Bobby was a good looking guy, in a playful, frat boy sort of way, dressing always in small, maintainable fashions whose main point of functionability was to lounge around and dick around in. Except for the powder blue tuxedo that never failed to make her laugh.

But this was a different Bobby Drake, one who didn't seem to be "on."

"Yeah, I'm wearing slacks ... clean ones, too. It's not my usual style--"

"It should be, Bobby," Annie looked on appreciatively. "You look intelligent."

"The glasses help."

"I didn't know that you needed glasses..."

Bobby sighed. "It has to do with my freezing abilities ... it's wearing on my eyes, since the tissue is really sensitive. I usually wear my contacts."

"So you have brown eyes?" Bobby shrugged. "Yeah. Just another brown eyed boy."

"You look good, Bobby. I mean that."

Bobby took the moment to grin and bask in the moment.

"Big night, planned?"

Bobby broke out of his reverie. "What?"

"Your basket ... interesting."

Bobby quickly groaned as he remembered what exactly was in his basket. The strawberries, cherries, and grapes he could explain, but the paintable white chocolate and the magazines were going to be a tough sell.

"Date tonight?"

"With myself."

The hole Bobby was digging himself got deeper.

"I've never known anyone who was so ... uhm ... expressive? No, that's not the word ... uhm..."

"It's not what you think, Annie..."

"Hey, Bobby, if you want to whack off with strawberries, that's perfectly all right...! I mean, I lived with guys, I know how it is!" Annie was blushing scarlet.

"I'm drawing tonight."

"Is that a euphemism?"

Bobby swallowed hard. "I felt restless tonight and decided I'd draw tonight. I can't afford a live model, so I bought the magazine, which you will find is very tasteful."

"The fruit and the chocolate?"

"Finger food. It's light, sweet, and compatible with the sketches."

Annie nodded. "I guess it's not a fried chicken sort of thing."

They both laughed nervously until Bobby looked at her basket. "Let's see ... corn chips, salsa, little bagel pizzas, cookies and cream ice cream ... the chips could provide some discomfort, but if you're into that sort of thing..."

Annie promptly hit him in the gut.

"Truce, truce! You wouldn't hit a man carrying innocent fruit, would you?"

"Show me this man you speak of and you shall see."

Bobby smiled sadly. Back to the old "Bobby = still in puberty" jokes.

"Can I see them?"

He shivered a bit as she asked. "What?"

"Can I see your drawings? I'll understand if you say no."

Bobby managed a small grin. "If I let you see them, you are sworn to never tell any of the others of this hobby of mine."

"Bobby, who am I going to tell? The German hottie who I stammer around or the woman who doesn't know I exist because I come up and under her large breasts?"

"Which one is that?"

Annie threw up her hands in frustration. "All of them!" Annie huffed and let out a sigh. "So was that a yes?"

"It depends."

"I told you I wouldn't tell."

"Yes, but there is one thing that is missing from both of our baskets that would compliment the night."

Annie's eyes lit up and dashed away. "I know exactly what you mean!"

Bobby choked a bit as she saw what she came back with.

"I'm not good at selecting wines, but I think this one should be all right..."

Bobby was thinking more along the lines of a six pack of Yoo-Hoo. But this could work.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Annie sat and bounced herself on Bobby's bed as he poured the wine into two glasses that they swiped from Hank's lab. Hank was a wine aficionado and taught Annie best he could his knowledge of wine and surprisingly, with a few meager sessions, she could pick out wine better than he could. She felt confident about the choice she made tonight; a nice sparkling white wine that would bring out the fruit and would even go with the Rice Krispy Treats. As Hank had learned, Annie always knew the right wine to go with Rice Krispy Treats.

She smiled as he handed her a glass and unsheathed his a large, thick envelope. He held it nervously in his hands and fumbled with the cover. "I've kept this since I was about, uhm, fifteen ... It's a portfolio of my best stuff ... and not so best, that line tends to be fuzzy. "

Annie nodded. "Let's see."

"Right," Bobby said, voice nearly cracking with the sudden dryness in this throat. "Right," he said a tad deeper. He lifted the various drawings out and spread them on the bed. In them were portraits of Lorna Dane, the woman that Bobby had thought for the longest was his personal emerald goddess. He had sketched her less than an hour after she took his virginity. The sex may have only lasted a short bit of time, but he remembered every inch of her body and it showed on the paper.

The next drawings were ones of Cloud, her famed puffs of condensation removed, leaving what Bobby considered to be the real Cloud.

There was a large series of a proud, blonde woman with yellow eyes and a fiery aura in a series innocent poses. There were more of these than anyone else. At these, Annie looked up to Bobby.

"She's someone who flirts with my dreams, sometimes," Bobby answered shyly.

The next pictures were of Opal. In each picture, she seemed to be discontent and grew moreso with every picture. These pictures were not as innocent as their predecessors and often showed Opal in the most degrading light.

Bobby blushed as he moved those away. "Those were done at a very rough time in our relationship. I was pretty angry."

Annie nodded and continued. In it, she found some small sketches of faces she didn't know, and some she did. The one of Rogue in full flight caught her eye particularly and as she caught Bobby's eye, he promptly looked down to the floor. There was one of Jean pouting and hiding in her hair. Storm walking through a forest. Bobby spoke up for that one.

"That's as close to a model as I ever had. I saw her walking one night in the woods out back and took the time to sketch it."

Annie finished off her glass of wine as she put the pictures down. "Have you ever drawn me, Bobby?"

Bobby took his time by finishing off his glass of wine. "More?"

Annie smiled shyly. "Have you?"

Bobby nodded slowly as he poured.

"Can I see them?"

"Absolutely not." He handed her glass back. "I would, Annie, but they don't do you justice."

"How do you figure?"

Bobby smiled as they turned to face each other. "Well, the others, I've seen nude. Or in spandex, which is nearly nude. I've seen in you in few dresses and your regular clothes, so I have to guess a lot.

Annie smiled. He was cute when he fumbled for words. She reached over and touched his hand. "Can I see them anyway?"

"Sure."

He was back. I'll Do Anything to Make the Girl Happy Bobby. He sighed dreamily in the back of his mind. In fact, all of the Bobby's were sighing dreamily. Even Bad Bobby. Bobby wasn't sure to make of this, but forgot about all the Bobby's as he handed Annie his sketch book. He flipped around to the back where all the recent sketches were. He waited for any sound to come from her, but only heard the flapping of the pages.

Finally, after a long silence, she spoke. "Damn, there's a lot of me."

Bobby shrugged. "Well, if you wouldn't go around fully clothed, there wouldn't be a need for a lot of sketches."

"It's all wrong, Bobby. For one, I'm not an outie. What made you think I was an outie?"

"I thought all imbred hicks were outies."

All Bobbys groaned in unison.

Annie sat her wine down and pounced on him. Bobby's wine spilled onto his shirt and soaked her pants as Annie pinned him down to his bed. "Say that again, ice for brains!"

Bobby could have easily pinned her. Bobby most certainly did not have to stay pinned down. But all the Bobby's agreed that not pinning her down was a wise decision. "What? That your sister's your mother?"

Annie giggled as she tucked her hand under Bobby's sweater. "What was that?"

Bobby began twitching as she began to tickle his sides. Now it was time to pin her.

"What was that you were saying, Annie? Oh, yes. That you weren't an outie ... well, let's just see about that..." Bobby took her wrists and with one hand, pinned them behind her head. His legs locked around hers so she couldn't escape or kick as he took his free hand and lifted her cotton t-shirt a little, exposing her belly button, which was an innie. "I guess you were right, Annie."

Annie smiled from her position. "Will you let me go then?"

"Let's see, do I relinquish control over the young nymph that is squirming around in my bed with her belly button exposed? Am I really that dumb?"

"I'll let you draw me."

Bobby's grin faded. "Annie?"

"If you let me go, I'll pose for you."

He took a moment to stare at her face, determining if this was or was not a sick joke. He gently let go of her wrists and unlocked his legs. She got up slowly, taking her time to stand up. There was a deafening thud in his ears as he found himself saying, "Annie, you don't have to..."

Annie smiled. "But I do. There were a million more minor mistakes in your sketches that need correcting." She lifted her green and white base ball shirt and tossed it on the floor. "How much do you need?"

Bobby went over to his easel and began to adjust it accordingly. "How much do you feel is comfortable?"

She slid off her bra and laid back on the bed. "We'll see if you can get the top half of me done satisfactorily and then we'll see about the rest."

Her hand went for the bag of grapes that Bobby had cleaned with his ice abilities. The coldness of them startled her and she dropped it on her chest. "Bobby!" She flicked the grape off and it beaned him on his head.

"Ow! That hurts, you know!"

"Well, couldn't you defrost them more?"

"I'm the Iceman! If you want warm grapes, go find the Lukewarm Man or something..."

Annie rolled her eyes and batted away the grapes to the floor and into a pile of laundry. "I'm blaming my erect nipples on you and only you, Bobby."

Bobby grinned.

"You know what I mean."

"I do. Please understand that I'm choosing to ignore that."

Bobby took his pencil to the easel and proceeded to sketch.

"So does that mean that your nipples are always erect?"

"Annie, right now, it's all about your nipple."

Annie let this go for about ten seconds. "Seriously, Bobby. Are they?"

Bobby stared at her for a moment. "Why are you so curious, Miss Peckenpaugh?"

"Because," she replied as she took a strawberry and dipped it into her wine, "it's interesting."

"Well, if you must know, yes, and I'm a bit sensitive about it, so if you--"

"How about shrinkage?"

The pencil Bobby was using flew out of his hand and he landed forehead first on his easel. "Beg your pardon?"

"Gosh, Bobby, you really seem to be hard of hearing tonight..." she giggled as she began to slurp on her strawberry.

He listened to her warm the strawberry up with her lips (he cleaned the strawberries off as well) and after a few painful slurps, he decided the balance in power must be shifted. He was not going to sit here all night listening to her suggestive talk, half naked, and nothing to show for it except for another cold shower. "Annie, I've decided that you need to take the rest of your clothes off."

Her body sat upright. "What?"

"Who's hard of hearing now, Angina?"

"You're bluffing, Linus. As soon as I start unzipping my jeans, you're going to blush and demand I put them back on."

"Then call my bluff." Bobby went back to the sketch, coolly erasing a few lines.

Annie stared at his calm indifference as she began to unzip her jeans. He would balk at any moment, now. She pushed the denim over her hips and down her thighs. At any second he would stop her and cover her up. She stepped out of the puddle of material on the floor and faced him, confident of his insecurity. "Well?"

"Panties, too," he said without even looking.

Annie pouted as she kicked off her panties. "Bobby?" Bobby Drake was quite aware that there was a nude Anna Gina Peckenpaugh right next to him. He was quite aware that he was a few inches away from her naked body and if he did not get her away from him in the next few seconds, he would never get what he wanted. "Go back to the bed, Annie."

Annie turned and walked back. For the first time since she became fully nude, Bobby looked and hid his smile. Her body had a natural roundness in it's curves and muscles with a softness that was not often seen at Xavier's.

"Continue eating your strawberry."

Annie raised her eyebrows. In the past two minutes, Bobby had gone from a weenie and a pushover to someone confident, secure, and in control. She continued to lick and warm the strawberry up between her lips.

Bobby began to sketch her and began to fully admire her body. He watched as her stomach swelled up and down with her nervous breathing, the way she fidgeted with her legs, not being as comfortable as she would have liked him to believe about being so exposed. He watched all of this in wonder. His hand flew all around the paper, catching her in different moments until the large sheet was full of Annie. He laid his pencil down and began to rub his hand as he went to get another sheet.

"Finished?"

"With the first few sketches, yes."

"Can I see them yet?"

Bobby shook his head. "Not until I have it perfect."

Annie smiled as she motioned to the space beside her. "Come here. Take a break. There's more wine."

Bobby made his way over to her and sat rigidly next to her. "Not much more wine."

"Enough for you to have another glass."

Bobby smiled as she clumsily poured the wine, little splashes hitting her body, and began to giggle.

"What's wrong?"

"The bubbles ... they tickle...!"

Bobby let a grin escape as he took the wine glass away from her hand and transferred it to the nightstand. He touched the surface of the wine briefly and then flicked it at Annie's exposed stomach.

"Bobby, you're going to make a mess...!"

He bent down over her stomach and licked away what he had sprayed on it. She twisted and giggled underneath his tongue happily. She was still giggling as Bobby left briefly to go back to his easel. He quickly captured that smile and went back to her, leaning across her body. "Annie, how daring do you feel right now?"

Annie took him by a handful of sweater and brought him to her lips. "I feel like I could do anything," she whispered before she licked his lips with her tongue.

Bobby smiled as he reached over for another strawberry. "Did you know that strawberries are my favorite fruit?" She shook her head no. He brought the strawberry to her lips and traced them. The strawberry was still ice cold and wasn't getting warmer with Bobby's touch. "I don't care for them frozen, though." He traced the strawberry down her neck and down to her breasts. "I was thinking that I could warm them up around here..." He circled the strawberry around her left nipple, which had already been pointed by the cool air, but when he touched it, her eyes closed and she let out a little sigh. "What do you think, Annie?" He walked the strawberry over to the other nipple and proceeded to have the two dance around each other on her breast.

When she began to shiver, he brought his free hand to her left breast with a touch that was surprisingly warm. His lips went for her ear lobe and kissed them lightly. "Can you keep doing that for me, Annie?" She smiled and nodded, eyes closed.

He went back to his easel as she mapped out a destination for the small berry. Bobby divided his concentration from his drawing to the lucky fruit that was inching itself around to her belly button. She sighed happily as the fruit went back north towards her neck. She did that for the next five minutes and Bobby caught every moment of it with his pencil. He looked at his drawings with slight satisfaction. "Annie, would you like to try something else?"

Annie grinned and nodded. There was something about Bobby's voice tonight that made everything seem like a good idea.

He went back over to his bed and took the strawberry. "Sit up on your knees."

She obeyed him, fruit still in her hand which he removed from her. He put the tip of it in his mouth and licked it. Bobby then placed the berry back on her stomach, right underneath her belly button and began to circle it.

He took it away briefly to dip it into the wine and brought it back to her middle. The wine dripped down and found a new home on her thighs and the course hairs of her cunt. He dipped the berry into the glass again and went down further. "Open your legs a bit more," he commanded as he twirled the strawberry down her inner thigh. As she complied, he brought it back up to where it touched her lower lips. She let out a small gasp at the shock of the coldness and the bubbles.

He brought her face up to look at his. "If you want to stop, Annie, tell me now and I won't go any further. I'll never mention any of this ever again and we can pretend it never happened. But if you choose to stay..." He gently leaned in and gave her lips another playful lick before nudging them open. His lips gently massaged hers into a kiss. When it was over he leaned back and handed her the strawberry back. "The choice is yours."

He felt her eyes on him as he moved back to his position at the easel. He turned and looked at her with a blank expression. The corners of Annie's mouth slowly curled upwards as she dipped the strawberry once more in the wine and brought it back down between her thighs. "You're not getting rid of me that easily, Linus."

Bobby turned his attention back to the paper and kept a steady eye on it and Annie, who was slowly playing with the strawberry, the wine, and with herself. Annie's arm went to her hair and her back arched. She traced the strawberry back up to her collar bone and looked at him. Her eyes were round and clear with a look of adoration and wanting that he had never been given before. Bobby gave himself a moment as he sighed happily. _She wants me,_ he acknowledged. _Not Hank, me._

"Keep that pose, Annie. Whatever you do, don't move..."

His pencil danced across the page and an image emerged quickly from it. Completely satisfied, he went back over to the bed and took her by the hand. "It's rough, but I think you get the idea."

Annie's eyes were glued to the soft lines on the paper. The woman depicted on there was someone that she didn't know. The woman was sexy and confident, both things she wasn't. But then again, Bobby wasn't usually this calm and confident. "I guess this is just a night of showing different sides to good friends."

Bobby grabbed her hand and pressed a quick kiss in it. "It's a night of a lot new sides. I, for one, did not expect your back side to be as lovely as it is."

She dropped his hand and turned her back to him. "You mean this?"

He put a hand on either side of her shoulders and kissed the back of her neck. "That would be the back in question." Her hands went to his sides and gathered up the sweater material that covered his upper body and lifted it up and over his head. She sighed happily as she felt his cool skin on hers. His hands slid down her arms before holding her tightly. He kissed the left side of her neck and moved down to the corner where neck meets shoulder. "Annie, get back on the bed."

She complied, laying on her back with her legs opened slightly. He took another strawberry and a sip of wine before moving his hand to her opening. He separated her folds with is fingers and gathered her wetness on the brave fruit. He then brought the berry to his mouth and took a bite. "I told you, I love strawberries," Bobby said with a smile as he replaced the previous spot of the strawberry with his tongue.

His tongue was much warmer than the fruit had been and she welcomed it. His tongue pressed into and around each and every one of her spots, some loitering for a few minutes, others just passing through. Her hips rotated to greet every twist and turn of his tongue. Her breath quickened as his tongue began to sneak into her opening and she felt her pelvis involuntarily thrust up. He put a hand on her stomach to calm her down as he continued. He took the glass of wine and smiled as she motioned for her to thrust her hips up more. Gently and sparingly, he let the sparkling white wine trickle down her sex, causing her to giggle and moan at the same time, after which, he wasted no time in collecting the wine and her into his mouth. This time, he made no effort to calm her hips down as the twisted and turned with every motion of his tongue.

Bobby brought his face to hers and kissed her, this time, she kissed him back. He brushed her hair back away from her face, contemplating a million things that he could say to her at that moment. You're beautiful. You're amazing. You're the best thing that's happened to me in a long time. Each a hollow sentiment and not quite up to the task at describing this moment. Except for one he had been saving for quite some time, waiting for the right woman to tell. And as he looked down and met her green eyes, he knew.

"Ivy Greeneth."

"What?"

Bobby smiled as he continued to look down at her face. "It's an anagram."

"I'm too fuzzy to play word games!" she protested, smiling.

"Don't worry about what it means. Just know that before anything else happens, you are my Ivy Greeneth."

Annie smiled and brought her arms up around him. "I don't know what it means, but I love to hearing you call me it." She raised her head to kiss him and her hands brazenly stroked his back until she found a belt loop for each hand. She grabbed them to pull his waist closer to hers. She raised herself so she was kneeling, her mouth trailing down his neck and around to his ears. Her hands occupied themselves to the buttons, brads, and zippers that helped kept Bobby clothed. They never stood a chance as she began to slide the material easily off of Bobby's waist.

Bobby helped to kick off the increasingly unnecessary clothing and Annie pulled back to take a look at a fully unclothed Bobby Drake. A fully unclothed, well toned, and smooth lined Bobby Drake. "Nope. No shrinkage," she giggled

"Thanks, Annie. Haven't heard that joke in a while," Bobby said playfully while rolling his eyes.

"Get asked a lot?"

"You'd be amazed. The Human Torch doesn't get that question ... I guess with the fire portion inserted into his power, people assume the opposite ... For fun, way back when, I used to shout out, 'Hard on!' instead of the traditional 'Flame on!' ... I couldn't tell if his face was red from the comment or from the heat."

Annie laughed as she pushed him back, to where he was lying on the bed. "That's what I like about you, Bobby. You always make me laugh. You make me feel comfortable. It's been a long timehow long has it been for you?"

"Since I've felt comfortable with someone else?"

"Since you've had sex."

"A bit. A long bit. Don't make me say anymore."

Annie nodded. "I've only been with Lindsay ... I don't know how good I'll--"

Bobby took her free hand and brought it to his chest and held it. "There is no possible way that you are going to let me down. " He kissed her hand and motioned for her to come closer to him. "You're my fantasy, Annie."

Annie closed her eyes and kissed his lips. She didn't even notice that he managed to pin her again and didn't care that for the rest of the evening, they spoke no more.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

He woke up and looked down at his side, smiling, realizing that she was still there in his room with him. He kissed her head and went back to sleep.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

She woke up seeing a familiar woman staring down at her with familiar disapproving eyes. She felt Bobby's arms still around her from the night before and swore. "Not now, Mom..."

"Yes, now, Angina. Get up, we need to talk."

Annie carefully disentangled herself from Bobby, leaving a pillow in her place. Salem Brodie waited patiently as her daughter grabbed Bobby's "I'd Rather Kiss a Wookie" t-shirt to cover herself with and crept back to her room, her mother following her. "What is it now?"

"I hope you don't expect that young man to be any better than that Porn fellow you were engaged to."

"Don't say that, Mom. Bobby's different. He does care about me. And I think it's time I move on."

"Hank would never do this. Hank's a doctor. You should be with Hank."

"But Hank likes that doctor woman. He's probably still at her place," Annie bit her lip uncomfortably. "Besides. I care about Bobby. Last night ... it was just amazing."

"You were drunk, Angina. Get enough alcohol in your system and anything is 'just amazing'. That's how Frankie and I got stuck with you, oh, excuse me, how I got stuck with you."

"'Stuck with me'? May I remind you that you died when I was only two? And for a year before that, you were sent away to a sanitarium? Stuck with me for a full year, give the lady a prize."

"I changed your diapers, I put my nipples through hell for you, and I listened to you bleat, you damn well better give me a prize!"

Annie shook her head. "Look, no offense to you, oh wondrous life giver, but I want to go crawl back into bed with Bobby."

Salem Brodie shook her head. "I don't think you are, young lady."

"And what makes you think I'm going to listen to a stupid figment of my imagination?"

"Why are you so sure that I'm a figment of your imagination? Don't you think I loved you enough to return for you, to care for you in any way I could?"

"Well, no. You know I've never bought that. I believe that you would return to bug the hell out of my father and Aunt Peyton, though."

"Okay, you caught me. I really could care less about you, it's just a bonus."

"Are you sure you're not really Joan Crawford, pretending to be my mother, who maybe really does love me and doesn't set out to make my life resemble hell that much more?"

"Just hear me out, Angina. You didn't listen to me about Lindsey Pornstar, listen to me about Robert Flake -- you think you're the first girl he's drawn nude?"

"He told me I was his first model."

Salem laughed. "And you fell for it!"

"I think I'm smart enough--"

"'We were only practicing for a school play, honestly, Annie!' Does that sound familiar?"

Annie tried hard to swallow. "I believe Bobby. He had no reason to lie to me."

"How about to get you into bed with him? And do you think he's going to care one way or the other if he wakes up to an empty patch beside him? He's already got what he wanted. What have you got, Annie?

"How many other girls do you think he's said that to? You're his fantasy, indeed. Look at you, freckle face! You don't even rank against the women here! He grew up with a true red head bouncing around, what makes you think he'd settle for you're muddy auburn head? Especially when his own father is an adulterer?"

"I don't believe you."

"Call his grandmother, she'll tell you. She'll tell you everything."

Annie sat on her bed and covered her ears. "Just go away, okay? I like it better when you're not here."

"I'll be back, my little Angina. And no matter what you say, I made no mistake when I named you. I hate you, dearly."

With that, Salem disappeared from Annie's room, leaving her to contemplate whether or not to return to Bobby's bed.


	8. When in Rome, pt 7

****

**Standard Mice Disclaimer**

Mice is in no way associated with the Marvel Comics Group. She is merely trying to write a story and this is all she has to show for it. A noble effort. Though she would one day like to be paid for writing, please don't send her any money (send mail to urmonkeyifudo@yeahright.com on instructions to send her money). The characters of Bobby Drake, Hank McCoy and Jubilee, belong to the Marvel Comics Group. Holland, Jacob, Bert, Cliff, Hollis, Annie, Gary, and Nan are of my own mind. Any archiving of this story that is unaware of her attention will be ily received (Read: Tikki Curse). If you e-mail her, explain your intentions to archive the story and address of your archive, she will be more than gracious and will probably do something nice for you, like bake you brownies, not to mention archiving the story. She just wants to know where she can drool over the sight of her name. If you want to e-mail her comments, do it at esily@aol.com. You'll also get some brownies out of the deal, but it's not really that great of a reward because she can't cook. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

When in Rome

By Mice

Chapter 7

-1-

"Well, aren't you going to model them, Hank?" 

"Jean, they are tiny and satin and in no way is it going to find it's way on my derrière." 

"Your uniform is comprised of just as much material," Jean pointed out as she continued to swish around the male lingerie in her hands. 

"I have a belt. The belt helps." The argument had made perfect sense in his head, but upon saying it out loud, Hank McCoy saw the toothpicks his theory was built on. 

"Give them to Bobby. Bobby will wear anything distasteful." 

With the mention of Bobby, Hank nodded his head once. "I'm glad he and Annie are together. They make a good match." 

"You almost said that with no trace of bitterness. You want to try again?" 

"I'm being honest, Jean. Annie's a silly girl who's thoughts turn to a more simple breed of man ... and who better than my best companion? My little buddy?" Hank shrugged as he swiped back his satin thong. "Besides, I am casually seeing the delightful Emily Clay-Poole who dotes on me and gives me wonderful gifts. Life is wonderful, Jean. Everything is exactly as it should be." 

Jean shook her head. "Except that your panties are nicer than mine."

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-2-

Annie groaned as the music played and began to teeter from one side to another on her ice skates. "For crying out loud, Bobby, I think you requested more songs by Duran Duran than what they actually put out!" 

Bobby pouted, his features untouched by the cold that plagued Annies usually ruddy face and the unfortunate twin peaks on her chest. For Bobby, the ice rink was the premiere place to take his dates. "They must play View to a Kill. And Save a Prayer." 

"I hate Save a Prayer," she flatly replied before rubbing her nose again, causing the redness to spread. She sat down to give the huge blisters that were forming on her feet a rest. Lord, how she hated the ice rink. 

"Take that back." 

"I hate that song, Bobby. I can't stand it. It's too long and there's nothing to it." 

"Take that back." 

Annie stared at Bobby, waiting for him to smile and give her a quick hug. None of that was about to happen. "It's just a band, Bobby..." 

"And I suppose you think the music of the Barenaked Ladies is just cute, too." 

"It's okay." 

Bobby groaned. "I suppose you're going to tell me that your favorite band is Heart. Your favorite band is Heart, isn't it? Dear God, my girlfriend likes Heart!" 

Annie stared down at her skates. "Ann Wilson has an incredible voice." 

Bobby brought his head to his hands and shook. "Tell me that you have no Wilson-Phillips in your collection ... please, Annie, just say no to Chyna..." 

"I have both albums actually." 

"Tape or CD?" 

"Both. Hank upgraded me." 

"Augh!" 

Just then, Save a Prayer played over the rink. 

"Augh!!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

-3- 

"So, then, I thought for my campaign posters, I'm going to have this really pretty green and blue color scheme with stripes. They'll be eye catching, but not too aggressive. What do you think, Jubilee?" 

"I think I just wasted half an hour of my glorious teenage years on you again, Guthrie." Jubilee got up to leave her room. "I gotta go." 

"Jubilee, this election is very important to me! If I win, I'll be president of a large and prestigious boarding school. Brown University will just want to eat me up next fall!" 

"What happened to the whole, 'I want to lead the X-Men' dream?" 

"I did some research and concluded that I do not meet the height requirement." 

Jubilee blinked at her roommate. It was something she did a lot when she didn't understand Paige Guthrie's logic. This was 392 for the day. 

"Life falls in patterns, Jubilee. It makes things efficient. The more clearly we see the patterns in others, the clearer we can see the patterns within ourselves so we can change them for the better instead of the worse." 

393. "Where the hell did you get this shit, Guthrie?" 

Paige held up a worn book called, "Science as Karma: The Actual and Factual Cycles of Life" by a Dr. E. Clay-Poole.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

-4- 

"Annie?" Hank called out into Bobby's room. He settled himself down onto Bobby's bed and stared at some of his best friends impressive action figure collection. He picked up a Chewbacca, Han Solo, and the semi-precious stone that was Leia in the gold bikini figure. "Hello," the Han figure told Leia. "My name is Bobby Drake and I think you're dumb. I don't like you." Chewbacca went up next. "Hello, I'm Henry and I'm a Virgo. I have a PhD, a Nobel Prize, and I can cook." Leia looked at Chewbacca. "Wow, Henry! You sure are nifty, but Bobby thinks I'm dumb! Tee hee! I think I'll go out with him!" 

"You may want to start with someone who doesn't have as many standards as Leia, Hank ... Emperor Mego over there may agree to coffee..." 

Startled, Hank threw the action figures into a pile of clothes before collecting himself. "Warren, greetings. Funny meeting you here in Robert's room." 

"The same, overly formal one." Warren went over and sat on the bed with Hank. "Am I just not seeing it?" 

"Seeing what, Warren?" 

"I mean, the girl is cute and that's about it. She's amusing ... she's smart enough ... but there's not much else." 

"I'm afraid I don't get you, Warren." 

"Why in the world are you and Bobby so hot for this one girl? He did it, and now you figure, "What the hell? Bobby's doing it, why not me?"" 

Hank rolled his eyes. "I am not! I have a woman friend whom I am seeing on a casual basis--" 

"You're screwing Emily Clay-Poole just so Annie can bend her knee comfortably." 

"Listen to me, Warren. Annie is my student--" 

"Who your best friend is now heavily interested in. And now you're interested. You guys always do this." 

"Do what?" 

Warren smiled. "Do you remember when you started dating Vera? What was the first thing Bobby did?" 

"He asked her friend Zelda out." 

"Right. When I was dating ... ah, what's-her-face ... one of the Arquette sisters ... I don't remember which, I can never tell Rosanna and Patricia apart ... anyway, when I was dating one, Bobby didn't try to date the other. But when you started dating, Bobby started dating." 

"That means nothing. When all of us left the X-Men, he went with you to form the Champions." 

"Only after he tried for the Avengers." 

Hank blinked. "Bobby was never an Avenger." 

"I never said he was. I said he tried to be. They turned him down. They didn't think he'd be an asset of any kind. He was so upset, he came out with me to Los Angeles." 

"I didn't know that..." 

"And Bobby hates Twinkies. He really loathes them. He only started eating them to be like you. And remember when you went and started to date Trish? Remember what Bobby did? He went out and found someone just as annoying to date, just so he could be like you." 

"So far, you've only given me examples of what Bobby's done to be like me." 

"Well, up until now, you had everything he wanted. Now he has what he wants. And now, you want what he has." Warren began to smirk as he got up off the bed. "Remember that pool you, Bobby, and I had about Scott and Jean? Who would ask who out first? Who'd make the first move, etc?" Hank nodded slowly, trying to keep up with his friend. "We've already started one about you, Annie, and Bobby. " 

"I don't follow." 

"Hank, of all the things you and Bobby have done, you've never fallen for the same girl. This is going to be interesting." With that, Warren left the room. 

"I HAVE a woman friend who I am seeing on a casual basis!" Hank reminded his friend as he left. He picked up the nearest action figure to signify it. "She's smart, she's respected, and she's--" Hank looked at the action figure in his hand. "She's Jabba the Hut."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

-5- 

Annie limped feebly into the restaurant. 

"I would have carried you in, Annie." 

"I would have loved to see you try, short man." 

"I'm 5'10!" 

"In the waking world that we all inhabit?" 

They sat on a bench, waiting to be seated. "I still would have carried you in." Bobby grabbed her hand gently and placed it in his lap to hold. "I'm sorry that skating didn't work out, Annie." 

"It just hurts a lot." 

"I know, I just wasn't thinking..." 

Annie frowned as she put her head on Bobby's shoulder. "I know you don't understand about my knee ... a lot of people think it's just something so frivolous, especially compared to whatever you and your friends deal with, but it hurts me. It interferes directly with my life every day. Some days, I have to crawl out of bed because it hurts so bad. Some days are better than others, but it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. Having Hank arrange that surgery for this Friday was probably the best thing that's happened to me all year." 

With that, Bobby let go of her hand. "Oh. I'm sorry." 

She sighed, frustrated. "Do you always have to be so sensitive?" 

"Well, my girlfriend is more excited about going to the hospital than going out with me, am I supposed to be happy?" 

"Stop calling me that." 

"Stop calling you what?" 

"I'm not your girlfriend." 

"Oh." Bobby ran his fingers through his hair. "Oh." 

"We had sex, Bobby, it doesn't mean we now have a commitment ... I like you, I really do," Annie explained, not moving from her previous position. 

"It's just that you love Hank." Annie hit Bobby. "What was that for?!" 

"I didn't say anything about Hank. This has nothing to do with Hank. This has to do with what we did and how we're going to deal with it."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

-6- 

"So then she's all, "Ooh, aren't my posters pretty? And I read this book that says that if I eat only carrots and garbanzos beans at 2 p.m., a rainbow will burst through my ass!" and I'm all, "Yeah. Sure." You'd think after a few years at this school, I'd get a new roommate, but no." Jubilee sighed into the phone. "Harpo thinks that I should do something. I asked him what, and he said that I've already thought about it and I need to realize the idea myself instead of having someone else point it out to me. It'll make the idea that much more precious, or something. He said something really sweet and Harpo, and all I could think about was that if he were here, we'd so be making out after that, but he's still in Texas and it sucks. It sucks, Nan. It just sucks." 

"Have you thought about it, Billie?" 

"About what? What I'm going to do? I guess talk to Mr. Cassidy about a new roommate--" 

"What's your GPA right now?" 

"3.9." 

"Are you a leader?" 

"Well, yeah, naturally." 

"Are you a better dresser than her?" 

"That goes without saying. Why are you asking me all this, Nan?" 

"Just making sure my Billie is going to be able to do all the extra-curricular activities she wants this year. Some things have a minimum GPA, you know." 

"So where does style come into it?" 

"I want to make sure you look better, that's all. Looking good is half the battle. Look at the election 2000 -- if Gore had grown a goatee and showed a bit more of his style, there would have been no mistake about who would be in the White House right now. Clinton had style. That's why there was no other choice. I miss Clinton, I really do." 

The wheels turned slowly in her head as her call waiting beeped. "Hold on, Nan..." She clicked over. "Hello?" 

"Now that you've made your initial decision, can Ah be your campaign manager?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

-7- 

"I want a hamburger, medium rare -- I love it when the middle is still pink. I want Swiss and real cheddar cheese dripping off of it with three strips of grease drizzling bacon and a small colony of grilled onions and mushrooms. I want my fries done well -- so well that the potatoes weep for its fate. After that, I want a piece of cherry pie heated with a scoop -- no, two scoops of chocolate and vanilla ice cream. To drink, I want beer. I don't know why, but I just want something thick, heady, and that I haven't had in a while. It's a weird feeling. That's what I want." 

"She'll have the soup and a glass of water." 

"I know that, but he asked me what I wanted, not what I could have ... big difference, Bobby." Annie rolled her eyes and folded the menu back up. 

"If you want something sweet, I'll let you have one of those peppermints after dinner." 

"Gee, thank you, Saint Drake." 

"You're just cranky because you haven't eaten decent food in three days." 

"Sharp as a tack, Bobby, that's what you are." 

The waiter winced at their exchange and cleared his throat. Annie sensed the tension that was rising all over the restaurant since she and Bobby had gotten there. Arguing about where to eat at the rink was bad, the bickering in the car on the way to Harry's was unnerving, but this was just pathetic. 

"Soup and water." Annie nodded to the waiter and he left quickly. She then turned her head back to Bobby who was seated in front of her. "Do you remember the part in my life where I broke off a nine-year relationship?" 

Bobby nodded, chastised by his almost-girlfriend. "But I thought that you were over it and--" 

Annie shook her head and took his hand. "That man ... no matter how much he hurt me ... I loved him, Bobby and I'm still getting over it." Her teeth found the top part of her bottom lip and she began to gnaw gently on it, in desperate search of something to say to make him understand. She only found a familiar salty taste instead. "Have you ever been in love, Bobby?" 

"Sure I have." 

"I mean really in love, Bobby, where the other person loved you and there was a form of strong commitment. Have you ever been in a relationship?" 

Bobby shook his head no. "I've been in love, but all my relationships pretty much fizzle out." 

"Do you find it easy to fall in love?" 

He looked her directly into her eyes, as if to almost accuse her. "When it's the right girl, it's the simplest thing to do." 

"I don't, Bobby. With Lindsay, it was easy. Ever since he asked me out, everything was so easy, whether it be going out, talking, or even putting up with his cheating. It was easy -- almost no effort on my part. When I broke off the engagement, I felt like a lot of weight had been lifted off of me. Weight that I've been carrying around for a long time. And when you start saying that I'm your girlfriend, that weight comes back and it's not as easy to put on as it was before. Do you understand what I'm saying?" 

"I'm burdening you." 

"You're suffocating me. Bobby, all we did was sleep together when we were both drunk when we were both pretty weak. It's not like we love each other." 

Bobby looked at her with wet eyes. "But I do love you."

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-8- 

Scott Summers pulled up a patch of land next to one of his oldest friends. "Hank?" 

"I'm dating Jabba the Hutt." Hank turned to Scott in hopes of words of wisdom to pour out of his happily married mouth. 

"Bitches, man." 

"Pardon moi?" 

Scott shook his head. "Bitches. You go from Trish Tilby to Emily Clay-Poole. Hank, what were you thinking?" 

"You're getting a kick from being part of the pool, aren't you?" 

"Damn straight." Scott took a dramatic moment and sighed. "You know what the easiest part of being married is, Hank? I know Jean's moods. I know Jean. I've spent a good deal of time learning how to deal with Jean, and I know that there is no one that could handle Jean more than me. And I know that I couldn't handle anyone else but Jean. Those times when Jean was dead and I went looking for another relationship ... those were hard times. I knew how Jean reacted, what Jean wanted. I didn't want to devote anymore time into learning another woman's system." 

"And then there are the pancakes." 

"And then there are the pancakes." He turned to Hank. "Do you want to get used to Emily Clay-Poole's system? You need to decide that now, Hank, before you get roped in." 

"Emily won't let me eat pancakes." 

Scott clucked his tongue. "Bitches, man. Bitches."

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-9- 

"Annie, that was phenomenal!" 

Annie basked and blushed in her praise and if she could have, she would have done a dance. Praise from Hank McCoy was the kind she looked forward to the most. He'd even pat her on the head affectionately. If only this praise wasn't for the fact that she could now take apart and assemble back into working order a multitude of machinery that populated the mansion. 

"Don't be so modest, you and your abilities are growing at an alarming rate! It's wonderful!" He grabbed her up in a hug. "No more blushing." 

"What's so bad with blushing," she said, trying hard not to bury herself into Hank's silky and furry arm. "You do it all the time." 

"Do not." 

"Fur or no fur, Hank, I can always tell when you blush." 

Hank began to break out in nervous titters as he separated himself from Annie. "I find that very distressing." 

"Don't worry ... I don't think anyone else notices ... unless you do that, 'Aw, shucks, ma'm, t'ain't nothin' to it' routine." Annie smiled, looking up at him with shining eyes. "I'll keep it my little secret." 

"Thank you, Annie." Hank returned the smile back to his student. "Are you all set for tomorrow?" 

Annie's head nodded at rocket speed. "I have my bag packed and I've only eaten the things Dr. Clay-Poole allowed for the past twenty-four hours." 

Hank scratched his head. "She gave you a list of foods?" 

"Yeah ... they're really weird and they all smell like horse spit. Tastes about the same, too." 

Hank's mouth turned into a grim frown. "Damn Emily and her macrobiotic conversions ... I'm surprised you haven't thrown up, by now." 

"I didn't say I didn't," she groaned, face now turning as green as her eyes. 

"I can't believe you stuck to that diet either, considering Bobby and his eating habits." 

The name had been said for the first time since she and Hank had returned to their regular sessions. They had been interrupted by various so-called "salons" with Emily Clay-Poole. Hank had remained very tightlipped about those sessions, not even telling Bobby. 

"You couldn't have chosen a better guy, Annie." Hank turned away and began to scribble data all over a clipboard, which mainly consisted of the Mentos jingle. 

"Hank, Bobby and I are ... well, we're not dating." 

His head made no movement. "Annie, no need to play it down, the entire mansion is buzzing about it." 

Annie stamped her foot. "Well, they shouldn't!" 

Hank's thin congratulations melted into genuine concern. "Annie, what happened?" 

She tasted that familiar saltiness in her mouth once more before speaking. "He just really pushed it, Hank ... we made a mistake and he called it love and I just couldn't take that. It's too soon, you know?" She looked up to Hank with two, pleading green eyes. "I just can't imagine falling in love with anyone so soon ... it's just so hard and I don't know if I'm ready for it again." 

"Do you love him?" 

Annie shrugged. "I don't think so. Bobby's great--" 

"Bobby's the best." 

Annie nodded as Hank went into a cabinet by his desk. "But not for me. He's not the person for me. I need someone different, Hank, I need--" 

He withdrew two wine glasses and a wine bottle. "A drink?"

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-10- 

"Jean!!" 

It was nights like these that made Jean Grey-Summers want to change her name. 

"C'mon, Jean! Let me in!" 

"The door is open, Bobby, just let yourself in." 

"I can't, my arms are full." 

Jean took a telepathic look outside. Bobby stood there with arms full of sugary badness. Two containers of cookie dough ice cream, chocolate syrup, brownies, a shrimp cocktail pack (definitely a Bobby-Jean thing), a six pack of Pepsi, and a jar of what seemed to be edible white chocolate body paint. She decided not to question that one. 

She grabbed her robe and opened the door. "Bobby, what happened?" 

"I'm a loser, Jean. I fall in love, give it my all, and then they tell me that they don't want me." 

"Annie?" 

Bobby nodded. "She said she wanted some time to think and clear her head about Wyoming and her studies and that I was only blocking her from growing. In other words, she dumped me." 

"Bobby, I'm sure that given a little time--" 

Bobby grabbed up two spoons for each of the cookie dough ice cream. "No, Jean. This has happened for the last time. I want to be in love, Jean! I'm good at being in love and romancing women ... did you know I drew her? She posed nude for me to draw her?" 

Jean blinked a few times before answering. She took the other container and spoon and began to eat. "You draw?" 

"Yes!" 

"Nudes?" 

"Well ... sometimes ... " 

"Are you any good?" 

Bobby withdrew a copy from his back pocket. "This is what I drew." 

Jean quickly unfolded it and gaped at what she saw. "Bobby..." 

"Don't call me a pervert, okay? A lot of people do this--" 

"I was going to say that is was incredible. You have a lot of talent." 

"Yeah, for an accountant..." 

"No, you just have a lot of talent..." Jean carefully sat the picture down on the counter as she continued in on her ice cream. "Bobby, how come you never showed us anything?" 

He shrugged. "It's not the kind of thing you share with friends ... it would be kind of gay, don't you think?" 

"What else do you draw?" 

"Well, anything..." 

Jean nodded as she licked her spoon. She had an idea. "We're going to get you out of this depression, Bobby Drake ... just you wait." 

"You're going to mind control Annie into loving me?" 

"Now that's just sophomoric. Do you think I'm some kind of jezebel?" She put an arm around him and held him. "Besides, if Annie has any brains, she'll come back. She's probably just scared right now, is all." 

Bobby nodded. "Yeah ... we were both drunk when everything happened ... it probably just loosened her up too much. She'll come back when she's ready ... and speaking of ready, I'm ready for some shrimp, how about you?" 

Jean grinned brilliantly. "Try and stop me."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

-11- 

Hank fast forwarded to his favorite song on the CD player. He looked at Annie who was collapsed on his computer chair who smiled up at him. 

"Why is it when you play this song, all the hairs on my neck go up?" Annie cooed as she laid her glass of wine, her third of the evening, on the desk and got up to dance. "It's almost like you want to sleep with me." 

Hank smiled and sipped his own wine, the only glass he had that evening, as he watched Annie go off in her own world. 

"But you wouldn't would you, Hank? It's probably never even crossed your mind." 

"I wouldn't say that, Annie." 

Annie stopped in mid-twirl and looked at him. "Are you saying you would?" 

"Are you saying I wouldn't?" Hank let out a small chuckle as he reached around Annie's waist and pulled her into a hug. "You're drunk." 

"And you should kiss me." 

He stroked her hair a little bit before letting her go. "Very drunk." Hank began to walk away to grab her wine when her voiced pierced through the music. Not because of the loudness of her voice or any shrill tone that might have existed, but it was the word itself that ripped it's way through the noise. 

"Please." 

With that simple word, Hank felt a tug at his heart and couldn't quite find it in himself to turn around just yet. She was begging. 

"Hank, please. Right now, I'm so drunk that I won't remember it ... " 

Like a common dog. 

Hank put down his glass, turned, and walked up to her, placing his hands on either side of her face with gentle care. Her eyes slightly bulged as she realized what he was about to do. 

"You beg, Annie. And begging makes you less desirable." His lips went out to kiss the tip of her nose in a friendly approach and then slowly made their way to her top lip, to which Hank tugged playfully with his. His tongue traced her lower lip, brushing her mouth open just enough to give her a kiss that would remain crystalline in her mind, well after the fog of alcohol left her mind and picture perfect in her already perfect memory.

The End


End file.
